Court terminates proceedings in case on reinstating defrocked Arman Saroyan to office

The court of first instance of Armavir Province (Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan) has decided to terminate proceedings in the case on reinstating the defrocked Arman Saroyan (formerly Bishop Gevorg Saroyan) as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This was reported on social media by Ara Zohrabyan, a lawyer representing the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

It is noted that Saroyan demanded that the Patriarchal Order of Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, relieving him of his post as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese be declared invalid, and that he be reinstated in that position.

The court upheld the key legal position of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: the appointment and dismissal of a diocesan head fall within the exclusive competence of the Catholicos of All Armenians and form an integral part of the autonomy and internal life of the Church.

“The court noted that these relations are governed by internal church rules, namely canon law, and therefore this dispute is not subject to consideration under civil procedure.

The court lifted the previously applied measures securing the claim, which restricted decision-making by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin regarding the administration of the Masyatsotn Diocese of the AAC. I remind you that the Catholicos of All Armenians and six bishops were named as defendants for the alleged obstruction of the court order applying measures to secure this claim.

The formation of the Church’s spiritual authority and the appointment and dismissal of clergy cannot be equated with ordinary employment relations, and they are not subject to control by secular courts in circumvention of canon law.
The autonomy of the Church is not a privilege but a fundamental guarantee protected by the Constitution and international law,” Zohrabyan wrote.

The court also considered significant the vow of a bishop that Saroyan signed. At the time, he vowed to remain faithful to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for the rest of his life and to submit to and obediently follow the decisions of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the lawyer added.