‘I do not support the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and did not sign the statement’ – Bishop Armash Nalbandian

Bishop Armash Nalbandian, the head of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Damascus, told NEWS. am that he is not a supporter of the idea of removing Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and does not consider this issue subject to discussion.

“Yesterday, a text of a statement was published on behalf of high-ranking clergymen, in which several archbishops and bishops accused Karekin II of concealing the ‘sacrilegious act’ of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, a diplomat of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. They claimed that His Holiness had ‘betrayed the vow he made upon his consecration to the Catholicosate’ and demanded his resignation. Later, they went to the government, met with the Prime Minister, and Pashinyan thanked them for their ‘public expression of a principled position.’ The statement also listed the name of Bishop Armash Nalbandian, although the signature was absent.

I did not sign this statement, because in my view, such issues should become the subject of serious discussion, specifically within the Church, and based on that, the necessary decisions should be made—and this requires time,” the archbishop noted, adding that he does not wish to provide further comments.