Armenian Government's 5-Year Plan Aims to Oust the Head of the National Church

Under Article 151 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister presents the executive program to the parliament. Once approved by the National Assembly, a 5-year action plan must be finalized within three months. This comprehensive document is now ready for an upcoming cabinet session.

Church Reform Agenda

The program frames spiritual security and institutional reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a vital necessity. A primary objective is to depoliticize the church and prevent external forces from using it as a tool in hybrid warfare. To achieve this, the government plans to bring the church's operations strictly within a regulated canonical framework.

Key Proposed Measures

The government document outlines the following specific steps:

• The removal (forced retirement) of the de facto head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the organization of an election for a Locum Tenens (interim leader).
• The adoption of a new church charter designed to ensure clergy integrity and strict financial transparency.
• Holding a new election for the Catholicos of All Armenians (the supreme patriarch) under established state-recognized procedures.

The action plan also includes a dedicated clause regarding the social status of the clergy. The document states:

"The government will also initiate the inclusion of spiritual servants in the state system of social guarantees."