Oppositionist on attacks on the Church: Armenian authorities must  avoid actions  leading the Armenian people to another schism

ArmInfo.  The Armenian authorities must avoid actions against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC)  leading the Armenian people to another schism, as stated by opposition MP Garnik Danielyan from the "Armenia" bloc during  parliamentary briefings, when addressing the latest developments  surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

He also noted that the campaign against the AAC is not new, having  begun in 2018 with Nikol Pashinyan's rise to power. Slogans like "New  Armenia - New Catholicos" were heard during that time. "The  persecution of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II had already  started back then. Later, there were proposals to remove the History  of the Armenian Church from schools. Even at that time, individual  clergymen found themselves targeted by the authorities," Danielyan  recalled.

The MP also expressed his conviction that the attacks on the Armenian  Apostolic Church are a continuation of the ruling regime's usurpation  of all structures in the country that had ever condemned its actions.  "It was precisely this reality with which Nikol Pashinyan disagreed.  However, we must understand that this entire process, namely the  attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church, disgraces our nation,"  Danielyan noted.

The MP did not deny that currently the Church is  facing challenges  that require solutions, but, according to him, this does not mean  that the authorities are complicit in them. "These are purely the  Church's internal affairs. If there are genuine problems, they should  be resolved through clear regulations, not based on someone's  preferences. The country faces numerous other issues, and therefore  the authorities must avoid actions  currently leading the Armenian  people to yet another schism," the opposition figure emphasized.

In this context, the MP also noted that, according to the  Constitution of Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church is independent  from the state, meaning that government interference in church  affairs is unacceptable. Danielyan believes that the only solution to  the current situation is for the ruling regime to refrain from  engaging in criminally punishable actions towards the Armenian  Apostolic Church.