Russia and New Nakhichevan Diocese condemns false rumors about Catholicos

Representatives of the Diocesan Council and parish councils of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church strongly condemn those who attribute deliberately false information to the participants of the assembly.

“A number of pro-government media outlets are once again spreading unfounded claims that the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, may allegedly move to the Russian Federation and lead the Church remotely. Since 2018 and to this day, the source of such false reports has been representatives of the Armenian authorities who seek to conceal their anti-church and anti-state activities through disinformation and manipulation of public opinion. Such assertions are yet another manifestation of the authorities’ unhealthy imagination.

His Holiness, as the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, fully oversees all processes related to the life of the Church. As a Catholicos elected by the people, he was chosen by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, which includes both clerical and lay representatives.

By attacking the unity of the Church and the person of His Holiness, the current authorities of Armenia and the forces behind them aim to divide the Church, create an alternative throne, and appoint a ‘Catholicos’ of their own choosing. The true goal of the current authorities—contrary to the Constitution and existing laws—is to bring the governance of the Church entirely under their control, thereby destroying the unity of the two-thousand-year-old Church,” the statement reads.