Assembly of Bishops Issues Statement Accusing Armenian Authorities

St PÖLTEN — The Assembly of Bishops convened in the historic city of St. Pölten, Austria, has concluded its work. The gathering was attended by 25 bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Assembly of Bishops of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued an official statement following the meeting.

The bishops expressed deep concern over the current state of church–state relations and called on the Armenian authorities to “cease the persecution of the Church and respect its centuries-established sovereignty and autonomy, to put an end to repression based on fabricated charges and slander against clergy and the nationally elected Catholicos of All Armenians, and to release the detained clergymen.”

In the statement issued after the meeting, the participants also said: “We, the members of the Assembly of Bishops, urge the errant eight bishops to act in accordance with their oath of loyalty to Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians, to address and resolve issues concerning internal church life exclusively within the Church’s authorized bodies, and to refrain from actions that violate canonical order.”

Also present in St. Pölten was Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, who has joined Prime Minister Pashinyan’s campaign calling for the Catholicos’ resignation. His name is also included in the Assembly’s statement.

The episcopal council convened on the premises of a Catholic church in St. Pölten was ultimately held as an assembly rather than a formal council. It could not be considered a council because, under church canon law, this body—authorized to adopt doctrinal and canonical decisions—is presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians. However, he was charged last Saturday and barred from leaving the country.