The Catholicos described the charges brought against him and 6 clergymen as unfounded and unjust.
07-08-2026 19:06 Armenia Press of Diaspora
azatutyun.am The Catholicos of All Armenians today made a statement after the service at the Mother See, describing the charges brought against him and six high-ranking clergymen as unfounded and unjust.
«We returned from the first session of the trial initiated against two archbishops and four bishops, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, on unfounded and unjust charges. We are full of faith and determination to defend our rightful rights. Our reliance is on God, and our service is for the pious, worldwide Armenian people and our homeland, - stated the Catholicos and noted, - We must be steadfast and united, and we must make persistent efforts to stop injustices in our country, discrimination and intolerance, and to prevent the spread of hate speech.»
The Catholicos is accused of obstructing the execution of a court order, in a case in which six high-ranking clergymen of the church were also charged.
Today, the first court session on this case took place at the Armavir first instance court, which was interrupted shortly after it began; Judge Hakob Manukyan recused himself.
The case concerns Bishop Gevorg, one of the ten bishops who joined the Prime Minister's anti-Catholicos campaign. The Catholicos had dismissed him, while the court ordered his reinstatement. However, the Mother See did not reinstate him and defrocked him, stating that these issues are not within the jurisdiction of the court, and this is an interference in the autonomy of the church. The investigation considered this as obstruction of a court order.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
ENGLISH
