Monday, May 27 2024 18:20

ArmInfo.The < Civil Contract > excludes a meeting between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan  and Primate ofTavush diocese, leader of the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement Bagrat Srbazan (Vazgen Galstanyan).   A MP from the ruling"Civil Contract"  faction Rustam Bakoyan stated.  

"We have not had such discussions, and we are not even going to have  such empty discussions," he said. Bakoyan emphasized in this regard  that such a meeting is impossible.

At the same time, the MP noted that it is necessary to figure out  whether the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) actually has a charter,  according to which it is possible to freeze the church administrative  service while maintaining the rank. "The Catholicos assists Vazgen  Galstanyan so that the latter begins political activity and, using  the image, achieves his goals," Bakoyan said, noting that everything  is done in a coordinated manner.

However, he called such a step unrealistic. "And it's sad that the  church is setting such precedent. I think that the role of the church  is very important in the spiritual life of the population.   And here  this key role may be shaken, which may bring with it a number of  problems, even a spiritual crisis," Bakoyan said.

According to the parliamentarian, Bagrat Srbazan only asked the  Catholicos to freeze the service, so that in case of failure of  political activity he would be able to return to the clergy again.

Yesterday, during a large rally on Republic Square, Bagrat Srbazan  said that he was ready to become a candidate for the post of Prime  Minister of Armenia. He also informed that he was temporarily  suspending his spiritual activities. "I asked His Holiness Karekin  II, Catholicos of All Armenians, to freeze my 30-year spiritual  service," the archbishop noted.

Already today, in a conversation with journalists, Galstanyan stated  that he would retain his clergy, although he had 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.