Global Church Council Issues Warning Over Armenian Government's Conflict with the Church

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has released a statement in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church, condemning what it views as external and state interference in the institution's internal affairs. The global ecumenical body called for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis.

Statement by WCC Leadership

In a joint statement, WCC Central Committee Moderator Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay emphasized the vital role the Church plays in the historical, cultural, and spiritual life of the Armenian people. They extended their prayers and solidarity to both the nation and the Church.

"As the WCC, we express concern over undue interference in internal church matters," noted the statement by Bedford-Strohm and Pillay, as reported by the religious news outlet spzh.eu.

Mounting Tensions Between State and Church

Relations between the Armenian government and the Church began to deteriorate following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's rise to power in 2018 and severely worsened following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war. Tensions reached a boiling point in May 2025 when authorities controversially accused Catholicos Karekin II—the spiritual leader of the Armenian Church—of violating his vow of celibacy. According to *The Armenian Report*, Nikol Pashinyan demanded the resignation of the Catholicos, and the issue of replacing him was even incorporated into the electoral platform of the ruling "Civil Contract" party.

The Prime Minister maintains that his administration is attempting to save the Church from anti-state and anti-Christian elements. Conversely, the government has accused high-ranking clerics of supporting efforts to overthrow the democratically elected authorities. In response, Catholicos Karekin II stated, as quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Azatutyun): "We note with sorrow that our Holy Church and its clergy are being persecuted by the authorities."

Court Cases and High-Profile Arrests

Supporters of the Church allege that during this conflict, anywhere from one-third to one-half of the country's bishops have been arrested, while the Catholicos has been barred from leaving the country. In a landmark case in September 2025, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of making public calls to overthrow the government.

Further escalating the situation, on August 7, Catholicos Karekin II and six other high-ranking clerics faced charges in a Vagharshapat city court. They are accused of failing to execute a court order requiring the reinstatement of defrocked bishop Gevorg Saroyan (known by his lay name, Arman Saroyan). If convicted, the clerics face up to two years in prison. However, the proceedings stalled when presiding Judge Hakob Manukyan recused himself immediately after the hearing began.