The Church is the Final Stronghold: Who and Why is Waging “War” in Etchmiadzin?

Dark clouds have gathered over the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to The Geopolitics Telegram Channel, thirteen high-ranking hierarchs — six archbishops and seven bishops — have openly called for the removal of His Grace Arshak and His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, from their positions. This is not merely an internal church debate; it is an assault on the country’s spiritual center, a strike at the very heart of national tradition.

The full list of these hierarchs is provided later in this article.

The scenario unfolds with chilling precision. As the figure of Nikol Pashinyan emerges in the background, it becomes clear that the rioting hierarchs are not motivated by the spirit of God but by cold calculation. The situation surrounding Archbishop Arshak has shown that no archbishop is immune to public scrutiny. Everyone has “skeletons in the closet,” past missteps, and vulnerabilities. Now, these clergymen, like marionettes, are compelled to carry out the will of others:

• launch the process to remove the Catholicos from power;
• legitimise reshuffles within the clerical hierarchy;
• undermine the centuries-old system of the Church’s authority.

Who is orchestrating this chorus? And to what end? There appears to be a clear political plan behind the so-called “fight for moral eminence.” Pashinyan and his foreign backers, Turkey and Azerbaijan, see the Church not as a guardian of tradition, but as an obstacle to the “tectonic” transformations in the region —transformations that could cost Armenia an extremely high price.

When thirteen hierarchs march against Armenia’s spiritual center, this is not a mere internal dispute. It is an assault on the principle of succession, on centuries-old tradition, and on a symbol of national identity. Holy Etchmiadzin is not simply a building; it is the guardian of historical memory, a link to the people’s centuries-old history, a guarantor of spiritual independence, and a stronghold of sovereignty resilient to the winds of politics. To undermine it from within is to deprive Armenia of one of its last bastions of national identity.

The scenario follows a familiar template:

• Formation of a coalition – gathering signatures to create a “front of the dissatisfied.”
• Public pressure – leaking names to the press and manipulating public opinion.
• Legitimizing replacement – presenting an “alternative candidate” as the “savior.”
• Dismantling the system – removing not only Karekin II but all of his loyal supporters.

If this process is not halted, what we will witness is outrage instead of reform, replacement instead of moral authority, destruction instead of renewal. A far more troubling question will then arise: will Armenia still have a Church or merely the appearance of one, soulless and controlled by others?

Pressure on Catholicos Karekin II - endless allegations and intrigues within the Church orchestrated by Nikol Pashinyan - has reached an almost insurmountable level. Pashinyan is a master of destruction. If he is not stopped, he is likely to achieve his goals at any cost. Under such circumstances, any delay could result in a loss of authority and deep division within the Church.

Journalist Karpis Pashoyan suggests the following possible solutions:

“In this situation, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has two options:

a) To hand the Church over to Nikol Pashinyan, since current developments suggest that Pashinyan’s system - his political ‘KGB’ - will achieve its objectives anyway.

b) To transfer the seat to Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, or another respected, authoritative, and invulnerable bishop.”

Pashoyan’s proposal to voluntarily pass the title to an “uncompromised” bishop, specifically Mikael Ajapahyan, may seem drastic, but it is a sober and strategic measure. This is not capitulation; rather, it could:

• Halt the chain reaction of division before the conflict spreads to the broader clergy and congregation;
• Preserve the unity of the Church by entrusting its leadership to someone untainted by political intrigue;
• Prevent external interference, denying opponents any opportunity to further discredit the office of the Catholicos.

The Armenian Church stands on the brink of a turning point. A voluntary transfer of the title is not a sign of weakness, but of courage. It is not a defeat, but a strategy for survival. The real question is whether the Church will remain a sanctuary or become an instrument of the final dismantling of Armenian statehood in the hands of Nikol Pashinyan. If Catholicos Karekin II takes such a step, history will remember him not as someone who made “concessions,” but as the one who saved the Church from dissolution.

Now is the time to choose, the time to protect, the time to remember that the Church is not merely walls and titles - it is the spirit of the people. And that spirit cannot be abandoned.