Pashinyan went on the offensive against the church hierarchs

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his 50th birthday. The Russian leader wished his colleague good health, happiness and success in government activities, and also called for the further development of interstate relations for the benefit of stability, security and prosperity in the Eurasian space. However, for now, Pashinyan is more concerned not about the problems of the continent, but about the fate of the Armenian church.

On the eve of the anniversary, the head of the Armenian government decided to criticize the Armenian Apostolic Church for its inappropriate attitude towards its churches. “All the most unnecessary things are stored in churches: an extra marble slab, bags of cement, pieces of old rusty fittings. Why does a person enter a church? He comes in to touch something spiritual. And suddenly you come in and see that garbage is scattered in one place, someone’s clothes, shoes are somewhere there, someone has put their bed,” Pashinyan said at a regular government meeting. At the same time, he accused the priests of falsehood, since they talk about the holy, while being atheists.

In response, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the office of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin, said that Pashinyan had demonstrated a lack of education, as well as an internal crisis of proper public communication and a deep understanding of issues. At the same time, Khachatryan recalled that since 2019, the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has repeatedly asked the authorities of the republic to help preserve religious monuments, but there is still no response. “Perhaps the head of state will also look at the vital issues of preserving shrines in occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh. – “NG”), which are under threat of destruction,” concluded the archbishop.

Pashinyan’s reaction was not long in coming. He indecently cursed the priest on social media.

In addition, he asked himself the question: what to do with a priest who has violated his vows of celibacy? “Now which is more ethically honest: to resign voluntarily or to indulge in mental anguish – will there be an investigation, will the truth be revealed?” said Pashinyan.

All this was so unexpected and vulgar that many people thought that the prime minister’s account had been hacked by ill-wishers. However, Pashinyan was supported by his wife Anna Hakobyan, who dispelled all doubts about the sincerity of the prime minister.

“They went berserk because of the word ‘closet.’ Of course, that’s how it should be. After all, closets are the dark corners of the lives of fanatics who wear black robes. It is in the closets that perversions occur, which do not even deserve the wrath of the believing people. The believing people, who have long since come to terms with this, are dragging on their shoulders the main fanatical perverts of the country. What do you do in Switzerland? Who are you sending safely to their native cradle? Who are you releasing from captivity immediately? Do you know what is spiritual? Here’s the news for you! The main spiritual mafia of the country is clearly outraged by the fact that a conversation about closets has opened. Otherwise, why would they attack the elected head of state?” said Hakobyan.

The Armenian media suggested that Pashinyan went on the offensive against the church, thereby wanting to demonstrate to his fellow citizens his readiness for an irreconcilable struggle against any representatives of the elite who hinder the development of the country. In particular, he copied the rhetoric of blogger Vartan Ghukasyan, also known as “Dog”. Earlier, he created the Voice of the People party, which in 2023 received 10.51% of the vote in the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan. At the same time, it may be beneficial for Pashinyan to keep the socio-political discussion at a low level, because this allows him to bypass the most difficult issues of his rule.

Anton Yevstratov, an associate professor at the Russian-Armenian University, told NG that Pashinyan’s pressure on the church may also be related to his desire to oust the last representative of the ruling elite of Armenia, who retained his position after the velvet revolution of 2018.

“Apart from the frankly vile manifestations of the conflict between the government and the church, Catholicos Garegin is the last representative of pre–revolutionary Armenia who feels comfortable these days. At the same time, the church is one of the symbols of resistance to the regime for the opposition. Last year, this resulted in the Tavush for the Motherland movement. In this regard, Pashinyan’s desire to influence the election of the Catholicos is understandable, but it contradicts national traditions. So, the Armenian statehood is rather weak, for several centuries it did not exist at all. The Church, on the contrary, was the mainstay of the Armenian people, which in the Middle Ages and Modern Times even replaced the state in a number of aspects,” Yevstratov explained.