HayaQve proposes forming national organ to defend AAC

ArmInfo. The "HayaQue" civil society organization has come forward with an initiative to create a  nationwide public body to protect the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In a statement released by the organization, the actions of the RA  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, aimed at dismantling the hierarchical  structure of the Armenian Church, not only undermine the  constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia, but also violate the  fundamental religious freedoms of millions of Armenians living in  Armenia and in the Diaspora, insulting their religious feelings.

"Pashinyan has no right to act on behalf of the Republic of Armenia  with an initiative to change the hierarchical structure of the  Armenian Church, this is a massive violation of human rights, freedom  of conscience and a crime. The HayaQue Union, seeing in Pashinyan's  calls the risks of provocations and violence against the Mother See  of Etchmiadzin, initiated the issue of creating a body whose task  will include carrying out preventive actions on the territory of the  Mother See of Etchmiadzin in case of possible provocations.  Large-scale and multifaceted public activity is necessary to protect  the legitimate rights and religious freedoms of the AAC and millions  of its followers. We propose to begin consultations with a single  agenda: to create a national public body for the protection of  religious freedoms and the AAC, whose task will be to suppress  Pashinyan's activities aimed at violating freedom of conscience and  the destruction of the Armenian Church, as well as to prevent  possible civil conflicts," the statement says.

The other day,  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came up with  an initiative to create a coordination group to remove the Catholicos  of All Armenians, who, according to the prime minister, broke his vow  of celibacy. On May 29, at a government meeting, Pashinyan said that  Armenian churches resemble "closets filled with junk." The next day,  he published a harsh post on social media, in which he used rude  language addressed to the hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church  and accused one of the archbishops of sexual promiscuity. At the same  time, the prime minister demanded that all priests who broke their  vow of celibacy be defrocked. Similar attacks were made by the prime  minister's wife, Anna Hakobyan, who called the patriarch "the main  mafioso" and those who criticized the "chulization" of churches -  "the main pedophiles of the country." These statements provoked a  sharp reaction from the clergy. Amid the scandal, the prime minister  proposed changing the procedure for electing the head of the AAC so  that the state would have a decisive vote in the elections, and  candidates would undergo an ethics check.