Catholicos of All Armenians receives chaplains whose service in RA  Armed Forces ceased on February 1

ArmInfo. Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received the chaplains whose service in the Armenian Armed Forces ceased on February 1, the press service of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin reported.

During the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his  gratitude to the clergy, commending their dedicated service in  fostering a healthy spiritual and moral atmosphere in the Armenian  army, strengthening the soldiers' faith, love for the homeland, and  fighting spirit.

Karekin II also made new appointments, calling on the priests to  continue their pastoral mission with the same dedication and devotion  in their new assignments. Earlier, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan  signed a decree terminating the service of chaplains appointed by the  Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Armenian Armed Forces,  effective February 1, 2026. Military clergy of the Armenian Apostolic  Church serving in the Armed Forces will be transferred to the general  subordination of the Defense Ministry's Department of Moral and  Psychological Training and directly subordinate to unit commanders. 

For this purpose, non-command positions of senior regimental and  regimental chaplains, equivalent to the ranks of major and captain,  respectively, will be established in the Armed Forces. These  positions will be awarded to clergy serving in the Armed Forces after  completing six months of service in a training unit.  Unit commanders  will nominate them for promotion to rank in consultation with the  aforementioned Defense Ministry department, provided that they have  received their theological education at Armenian Apostolic Church  institutions. Lawyer Ara Zohrabyan pointed out that the minister's  decision violated Article 10 of the Law "On Relations between the  Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church," which  stipulates that the Armenian Apostolic Church has the right to have a  permanent spiritual representative in military units.