Pashinyan and 10 Bishops Sign Statement Outlining Roadmap for Church Reform

YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has published a statement on his social media pages regarding reforms of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

“Dear compatriots, we are at the residence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, where for several hours we have discussed and agreed upon the final text of the following statement—a declaration on the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church,” the Prime Minister said.

The statement, signed by Pashinyan and ten bishops, reads in part:

“We, the undersigned,

• believing in and remaining faithful to the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to the faith sown through the preaching of the holy apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, and to the sacred tradition of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church founded through the efforts of Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates III the Great of Armenia;
• emphasizing the central role and significance of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in the vital mission of developing a values-based society in the Republic of Armenia and preserving national identity;
• expressing deep concern over the failure of the de facto head of our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and members of his close circle to live by and preach the principles of the Gospel, the disruption of spiritual life, and the manifestation of tolerance toward glaring cases of moral degradation;
• condemning and deeming unacceptable the anti-canonical practice of drawing the Church into politics and subordinating it to various agendas and interests;

hereby declare the launch of reforms within the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, to be carried out according to the following roadmap,” the Prime Minister stated.

The text of the statement also notes that the signatories will establish a Coordinating Council, which will be entrusted with the organizational functions of implementing the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. The composition of the council may be expanded by unanimous decision of its members.