Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin responds to accusations made by  Pashinyan`s chief of staff

ArmInfo.The incident that occurred during Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's brief visit to St. Anna Church on March 29 should be viewed as a consequence of the Armenian authorities' anti-church campaign, as noted  in a statement issued by the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The statement was released in response to a request for comment on statements made by Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff, who claimed that responsibility for the incident at St. Anna Church  lies with the Armenian Church and His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. 

"We deeply regret the incident that occurred at St. Anne's Church on  Palm Sunday disrupting the festive prayerful atmosphere that reigned  within the church. The incident, recorded during the Prime Minister's  brief visit, should be viewed as a consequence of the authorities'  anti-church campaign and unlawful, uncanonical actions that offend  the religious feelings of believers and provoke such uprisings," the  statement reads.

The Armenian Apostolic Church has advised the authorities, instead of  making baseless accusations against the Armenian Church and the  Catholicos of All Armenians, to reflect on and reconsider their  stance toward the Church, the clergy, and national and spiritual  values, which harms the nation and divides the Armenian people,  leading to such painful events.