HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CALLS FOR AN END TO GOVERNMENT–CHURCH DISCORD IN ARMENIA

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I has called for an end to the continuing row between the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Mother See of Mother Etchmiadzin, expressing his pain and willingness to mediate.  

“The unhealthy and unpatriotic atmosphere that has emerged in our beloved homeland, Armenia, is shameful, extremely shameful,” His Holiness said in a statement.  “Unfortunately, the Armenian language lacks the words to fully express my pain and outrage.”

The Catholicos also condemned a recent scuffle during a heated argument in the National Assembly.

“Indeed, there may be mistakes, oversights, polarization, or clashes in the life of any nation, church, or organization,” the Catholicos added. “These, however, must be addressed through the proper channels and in a calm environment to arrive at appropriate solutions.”

After an absence of six years from the Homeland, His Holiness said he had been thinking long and hard about visiting Armenia to help calm the situation. Yet he has been discouraged in view of the current debasement of the political discourse, at odds with the moral, religious, and national values of the Armenian people, as well as a string of arrests being carried out.

“Nevertheless, I remain fully committed to coming to the Homeland at any time and to engaging in consultations with His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and other officials, to seek the most appropriate solutions to lift Armenia out of the grave situation it now faces,” the Catholicos said in closing his statement.