Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has escalated his conflict with the Armenian Apostolic Church. In a recent speech, he accused the Church leadership of holding an "anti-national" position, effectively labeling Catholicos Karekin II as someone acting in the interests of the political opposition.
Pashinyan called for mass protest gatherings in Etchmiadzin – the spiritual capital of Armenia – a move unprecedented in the history of church-state relations in the country.

In late June, the country’s security services attempted to arrest Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan directly on the grounds of the Etchmiadzin Monastery. The raid ended in clashes with parishioners, who blocked the monastery’s entrances. Under public pressure, the arrest turned into a court case: the archbishop was temporarily released on bail, but the legal proceedings continue.

The Armenian Church has traditionally played a key role in shaping national identity and political legitimacy. The attack on the Catholicos is not merely an ideological conflict but an attempt to weaken one of the few independent centers of influence in the country.

By calling for protests at the walls of Etchmiadzin, Pashinyan seeks to craft the image of a "people’s leader cleansing the Church of corrupt elites". This is a political strategy aimed at seizing the moral authority of the Church ahead of possible early elections. For the first time since independence, Armenia risks facing a deep institutional rift between the state and the Church.

It should be noted that Moscow has traditionally relied on church structures as a loyal element of its influence in the region. The attack on the Catholicos can be seen as a weakening of the pro-Russian lobby and a shift towards the West. Furthermore, the intensifying conflict could lead to mass unrest in religious centers and increased opposition protests, which are already using the narrative of "insulting national sanctities". 

Thus, this attack on the Church benefits Armenia’s leader by mobilizing his electoral base and completing his break with the "traditional elites". Moreover, weakening the conservative Church, traditionally tied to Russia, strengthens Yerevan’s pro-Western course.

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21.07.2025 02:13