International religious media comment on situation around Armenian Apostolic Church

International religious media commented on the situation around the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Christian Post noted that criminal charges against the Catholicos of All Armenians raised “concern from rights groups amid worsening tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenian Apostolic Church leaders.”

“Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal proceedings against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and banned him from leaving the country, effectively preventing him from attending the planned Armenian church assembly in Austria this week,” the outlet wrote.

“Some observers believe that [Pashinyan’s] battle with the Church’s leadership is motivated by the poll, as senior clergy are perceived to be aligned with the political opposition,” The Pillar noted.

The travel ban imposed on Catholicos Karekin II, which barred him from participating in the Episcopal Assembly, was also addressed by the Religion Media Centre, an independent British organization covering religious affairs.

“The lawyers, London based Amsterdam & Partners, say many of Armenia’s bishops have been arrested, assets confiscated and clergy rounded up. The Armenian Prime Minister has said that the government will take over the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church and replace it with a ‘real, pure, and state-centred Church’ that would not be allowed to oppose the state interest. The church’s lawyers say: ‘the silence of Europe and the West is shameful’ and now is the moment to defend the values of freedom of religion and conscience,” the organization said.