Tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church are escalating, with Pashinyan alleging that the Church's leadership is corrupt and involved in a coup attempt. He claimed that the Church has been taken over by an anti-Christian group. The situation has reached a point where tocsin bells rang at St Echmiadzin, signaling the detention of a cleric accused of serious crimes. Analysts note that the conflict is personal rather than a broader church-state clash, though some Armenians perceive it as a crisis tied to national identity.
Pashinyan accused the Church of harboring a 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' involved in terrorism and a coup attempt, claiming that the Church must be liberated from an anti-state group.
Tocsin bells were rung at St Echmiadzin to signal the detention of a top cleric, indicating serious tensions between secular authorities and aspects of the Church.
The conflict between Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church is characterized by a personal clash rather than a broader confrontation between secular power and religious authority.
Some Armenians view the situation as an existential crisis, equating the Church's role with Armenian identity, reflecting deep cultural and historical connections.
Collection
[
|
...
]