ArmInfo.At the request of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Catholicos Karekin II released him from church administrative service. This is stated in a statement from the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
"In connection with his obligations to lead the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement and participation in the popular uprising in the country, T. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan appealed to the Catholicos of All Armenians with a request to suspend his spiritual service," the statement says. The Archbishop's petition was considered in the Mother See and it was decided to release him from service, but to retain the rank of Bishop.
Since April 19, there have been protests in Armenia after the agreement on the demarcation of the border with Tavush between Yerevan and Baku. On May 9, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who led the march from Tavush to Yerevan, called on the prime minister to resign. Yesterday, Galstanyan was announced as a candidate for prime minister of the Republic of Armenia. In the evening, he announced peaceful actions of disobedience from 8:00 am on May 27, which should force the authorities to reckon with the will of the people.
Today, in a conversation with reporters, Galstanyan said that he will retain his clergy, although he has frozen his religious service. In response to a remark about whether this means combining spiritual service and politics, the candidate for prime minister noted that this is not a political, but a national liberation movement. "I am no longer in the Tavush diocese, but I continue to be an archbishop. I was not defrocked," he explained.