The Mother See of Etchmiadzin condemned the creation of a parliamentary investigative commission on the Armenian Church.

ArmInfo. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II held a meeting at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin with a group of respected lawyers, human rights activists, and constitutional law experts to discuss legal solutions to overcome the challenges facing the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

According to the AAC press office, the parties discussed the creation of a parliamentary investigative committee on the Armenian Church.

"The participants condemned the creation of a National Assembly investigative committee on the Armenian Church, considering it a blatantly unconstitutional step and an attempt to interfere in the internal life and self-governance of the Church. They emphasized that issues of Church leadership, internal governance, and canonical life are not within the purview of the National Assembly and cannot be subject to parliamentary oversight." It was also noted that attempts to establish parliamentary oversight contradict the constitutional principles of separation of Church and state and the autonomy of religious organizations, as well as international standards for the protection of religious freedom," the AAC reported.

It is noted that the Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his gratitude to the meeting participants for their commitment to protecting the rights of the Armenian Church, emphasizing the importance of their professional support in identifying legal solutions to overcome the challenges facing the AAC.

During the meeting, proposals were also presented for the application of domestic and international legal mechanisms to protect the rights of the AAC and its clergy, as well as for overcoming obstacles hindering the normal activities of the Church and its spiritual ministry. In conclusion, the Catholicos of All Armenians reiterated that the Armenian Apostolic Church has always acted and continues to act within the law, and that the demand of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin is to ensure the rule of law and respect for the constitutional autonomy of the Church.

It should be recalled that at the end of September 2026, the Prime Minister's Office published an official report on the "crisis in the Armenian Apostolic Church," containing accusations against the senior clergy and a reform plan that calls for the replacement of the Catholicos and the adoption of a new church charter. In October 2026, the Armenian Parliament, on the initiative of the ruling Civil Contract faction, created a special investigative commission to study the situation in the Church and develop legislative changes aimed at "stopping the takeover of the Church."

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin called the government's initiatives and report illegal, unconstitutional, and gross pressure on an autonomous religious organization. The Church emphasizes that, according to the country's supreme law, the state has no right to interfere in internal affairs or decide on the replacement of the Catholicos.

It should be added that at a parliamentary session on October 6, the opposition factions "Armenia" and "Strong Armenia" announced that they would not participate in the work of the investigative group created by the ruling faction "Civil Contract" to investigate the "crisis in the Church."