After the parliamentary elections of June 7, 2026, the behaviors of the authorities and the opposition are radically different. The authorities are still in the process of pre-election aggression, as if the elections are not over yet. I suppose it will continue until the authorities solve the issue of their legitimacy.
The fact is that the social life of Armenia is now in the phase of the most dangerous crisis of Church-State relations. The provision included in the pre-election program of the ruling political force, which implies changing the Catholicos of All Armenians with state intervention and rebuilding the centuries-old canonical order of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, continues its sinful course.
It is clear that this is not an attempt to change personnel. If the Catholicos of All Armenians were St. Nerses Shnorali today, the famous faces of the “Civil Agreement” party would fight against the Armenian Church with the same zeal and the same methods. It is very important for the Armenian public to have a clear understanding of this fact. Make no mistake, the fight is not against the Catholicos of All Armenians, the fight is against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. I do not support Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, I support the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, whose leader today is Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.
Anyone who wants to participate in the reforms of the Armenian Church should do so within the Church, because that is what the Church regulations and the Constitution require. Those who cross these red lines can have temporary success, even until they achieve personnel changes, as in some cases they have already succeeded, but this is very temporary and extremely dangerous for the actors.
I have never shied away from speaking about the Church’s internal problems or personnel policy, but I did so when the Church was under state protection. Because of my critical attitude in 2011-2014. I suffered personal and systemic persecution. However, when the canonical foundation and constitutional independence of the Mother See are threatened at the state level in the context of internal political fluctuations, personal insults and disagreements must be subordinated to absolute loyalty.
Today, a strategy is being implemented that tries to turn the Church into an appendage of the state apparatus, and the question arises, why did you criticize the Church, saying that it is close to the authorities? Don’t you want to do the same now? But it is necessary to understand that the Armenian Church is forever close-knit (if it can be said this way) with the Armenian State, not with the temporary authorities.
The hypocrites who are proud of their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures must ring in their ears that worldly authorities cannot administer the secret of the spiritual Tabernacle. A powerful Church is the foundation of a powerful State, and those who undermine this foundation will sooner or later answer to history and God.
And now my time to speak is over, the time has come to be silent, but this should not be considered as a retreat, but a call to prayer and sobriety to all those who manage the present and future of the Church at this fateful moment.
Gennady Mnatsakanian
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