AAC: The so-called report on the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is unconstitutional, non-canonical and illegal in its content and form

ArmInfo. The so-called report on the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, published by the government of the Republic of Armenia, is unconstitutional, non-canonical, and illegal in its content and form. This was stated in a statement by the Chancellery of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin.

"This 'report,' prepared on the basis of accusations and slander published on social media and in the media, embezzling public funds, is an expression of political revenge, vendetta, and reprehensible interference in the internal life of the Church." We consider it appropriate to once again record the position adopted at the Bishops' Conference held in St. Pölten, Austria, on February 17-19, 2019, according to which the authorities of the Republic of Armenia must: stop the persecution of the Church and respect the centuries-old sovereignty and autonomy of the Church, basing church-state relations on mutual respect, a clear separation of powers and the priority of national interests, put an end to the repression of the clergy and the people-elected Patriarch of All Armenians through fabricated accusations and slander, act exclusively in accordance with the Constitution, legislation and international law of the Republic of Armenia and remain faithful to the proclaimed democratic principles that guarantee freedom of conscience, religion and belief in the country, ensuring social solidarity instead of division, resolve existing problems and contradictions in the spirit of dialogue, without preconditions, refraining from futile ultimatums," the statement reads. The statement also points out the obvious efforts of the Armenian authorities to create an artificial crisis in church life. Any reformist movement dictated by arbitrary political approaches, machinations, and coercion is unacceptable. The processes of overcoming the challenges facing the Armenian Church and its improvement are carried out exclusively by decisions of the highest canonical ecclesiastical bodies.

"This reprehensible policy, pursued with the aim of weakening the Church and discrediting the clergy, can never serve the good of the Motherland and our people throughout the world, strengthening unity, and, especially, countering the current challenges in the face of external security threats," the statement emphasizes.

As a reminder, the Public Relations and Information Center of the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia published a report on the situation in the Armenian Apostolic Church and possible solutions. The report, entitled "On the Crisis that Has Arised in the Armenian Apostolic Church as a Result of the Activities of the De facto Leader of the Church and a Number of High-Ranking Clergy, and Ways to Resolve It," was prepared within the framework of the Armenian government's program for 2026-2031, upon the instruction of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The purpose of the document is to document, based on a study of open sources, the circumstances that its authors characterize as a crisis in the AAC, and to propose ways to overcome it. The authors of the document emphasize that the report does not dispute the dogmatic foundations of the Church, Holy Scripture, and canonical order. According to their position, the document is devoted to alleged violations of these principles. The report also states that the reform of the Church should be carried out by the Church itself with the participation of its hierarchy and believers, and the state should act within the limits of its legislative powers. According to the Center, information from open sources was used in preparing the document, and the information presented therein was compared with the provisions of the Charter of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Apostolic Canons, the Charter on the Convocation of the National Church Council of 1945, other canonical documents and the legislation of Armenia. The authors of the report highlight 16 circumstances that, in their assessment, indicate the presence of a crisis in the AAC. Among them, the document names alleged violations of the vow of celibacy, the persecution and defrocking of clergy, financial opacity and the misuse of church property, the ordination of relatives and "clan governance," the politicization of the Holy See and external influence, a long break in holding the National Church Council, the absence of a unified Constitution of the Church, as well as schisms in the dioceses of the Diaspora. The authors of the report propose a five-stage "roadmap" for overcoming the situation, which they characterize as a crisis.