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Akbar Novruz

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The Armenian Apostolic Church has strongly condemned the ruling Civil Contract party’s election programme, criticizing its support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s controversial Church reform agenda, AzerNEWS reports via OC Media.

In a statement, the Church described the provisions targeting its leadership as “unacceptable,” warning that the proposed measures amount to interference in religious affairs and a violation of constitutional principles.

Civil Contract unveiled its programme earlier this month ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. The document backs Pashinyan’s proposed four-step reform plan, which begins with the removal of Catholicos Karekin II, followed by the appointment of a Locum Tenens, the adoption of a new statute governing Church leadership, and ultimately the election of a new Catholicos.

The reform agenda, initially introduced in January alongside several senior clergy members, has sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing it risks breaching Armenia’s constitutional separation between church and state.

The Church stated that such actions “constitute a clear violation of the constitutional order, an encroachment on the Church’s right to self-governance, and a breach of fundamental international principles of freedom of conscience and religion.”

It further accused the ruling party of pursuing an “anti-Church” agenda, warning that pre-election commitments to continue such policies demonstrate a broader ideological stance against the institution.

Emphasizing its autonomy, the Church stressed that the election of the Catholicos and internal governance matters fall exclusively within its jurisdiction and remain “beyond the competence of political parties and state authorities.”

The dispute comes amid deteriorating relations between the Church and the government since May 2025, when Pashinyan publicly criticized Church leadership over the management of religious sites. Since then, tensions have escalated, with the prime minister increasingly signaling his intention to remove Karekin II.

The Church also warned that the proposed reforms could undermine “spiritual security,” a claim mirrored by Civil Contract, which has used the same concept to justify its position.

In its programme, the party argues that the Church’s leadership has distanced itself from believers in recent decades, creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external actors. It maintains that the reform initiative aims to restore constitutional order by removing political influence from religious institutions, while reaffirming Armenia’s status as a secular state.