Peter Anderson berichtet aus der orthodoxen Welt

Seit vielen Jahren verfolgt Peter Anderson aus Seattle USA die Entwicklungen in der orthodoxen Welt. Nicht im Auftrag einer Zeitung, sondern aus persönlicher Liebe zu den Ostkirchen und im Einsatz für die Communio von Ost und West gibt er Einblicke in neue Entwicklungen. Mit Zustimmung von Peter Anderson werden seine E-mail-Nachrichten auf der Homepage des Zentrums St. Nikolaus dokumentiert.

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NEWS 2026

• 7 January 2026: Armenia's prime minister and ten bishops initiate "reform" of Armenian church

  On the evening of January 4, 2026, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, posted on his social media an important video.  The video can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkcrO196m8A&t=95s.  At the beginning of the video, Pashinyan announced:   “Dear citizens, we are currently at the Prime Minister’s residence.  After hours of evaluation, we have reached an agreement on the declaration text we prepared regarding the reform process of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.”  https://www.agos.com.tr/en/news/prime-minister-pashinyan-and-10-bishops-announce-roadmap-39050  Pashinyan then read aloud the entire text.  After the text was read, he signed two copies of the text.  Following this, the video showed eight bishops, who were at the same long table as Pashinyan, signing the text.  Two other bishops, who were not physically present, have also signed the text.

  The archbishops who signed the text are: Hovnan Derderian (primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America); Navasard Ktchoyan (vicar general of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese [includes the city of Yerevan]); Abraham Mkrtchyan (primate of the Diocese of Vayots Dzor); Arakel Karamyan (primate of the Diocese of Kotayk); Sion Adamian (primate of the Diocese of Amavir); Vazgen Mirzakhanian (primate of the Armenian Diocese of the Baltic States).  The bishops who signed were: Anushavan Zhamkochyan (dean of the Faculty of Theology of Yerevan State University); Vertanes Abrahamyan (primate of the Diocese of Artsahk); Artak Tigranyan (dean of the Monasteries of the Holy See); Gevorg Saroyan (primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn).  Three (Hovnan, Navasard, and Vertanes) are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, the highest executive governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

  There is a photocopy and a digital copy of the full text that was signed at https://www.panorama.am/am/news/2026/01/05/%D5%93%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6/3148925.  The Google translation tool works well on the digital copy.  A translation of the text is as follows:

  “STATEMENT

  The renovation of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

  We, the undersigned:

  – believing and being faithful to the doctrine of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to the faith sown by the preaching of the holy apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, 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 key role and significance of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in the development of a value-based society and the vital task of preserving the national identity of the Republic of Armenia,

  – concerned about the failure of the de facto head of our Holy Armenian Apostolic Church [Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians] and the representatives of his close circle to live and preach according to the principles of the Gospel, the disruption of spiritual life, and the manifestation of tolerance towards the blatant facts of moral corruption,

  – condemning and considering unacceptable the anti-canonical practice of involving the Church in politics, using it to serve various agendas and foreign interests,

  – noting that the arbitrary management and discrimination of the Church have led to the disruption of the normal course of spiritual life, divisions within the Church, and the regression of national-spiritual values,

  – accepting and recognizing our share of guilt and responsibility for this situation created in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the need to be transformed through repentance,

  – convinced that the vision of a value-based society cannot be brought to life without the reform of our value system center, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church,

  We announce the start of the renovation of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, which will be implemented according to the following roadmap:

  1. Publicizing the reform agenda,

  2. Removal of the de facto head of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (retirement),

  3. Election of the Catholicos Vicar in accordance with the established procedure,

  4. Adoption of the Statute of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church: The Statute should establish mechanisms for maintaining the established principles, ensuring financial transparency and the good conduct of the clergy,

  5. Election of the Catholicos of All Armenians in accordance with the established procedure.

  We call on the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and all followers to support, join in the reform of the Church, and unite around this goal for the sake of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, for the sake of the Republic of Armenia, and for our people.

  We, the undersigned, form a Coordinating Council, to which we entrust the organizational functions of the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

  This composition may be expanded by unanimous vote of the Coordinating Council. 

  The next day, January 5, the website of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin posted a statement in response to the media.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e05012026/12107  The statement reads:

  In connection with the statement signed last evening by the Prime Minister and ten bishops, we deem it necessary to emphasize the following:

  a. The actions undertaken by the Head of the Government of Armenia, under the pretext of bringing the internal life of the Church into accordance with the canons and reforming it, constitute a violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and infringe upon the rights of the Church enshrined both in international law and in the legislation of Armenia.

  b. The involvement of bishops in such anti-Church processes, as well as the pressure exerted upon the priestly order, is wholly condemnable.  Matters concerning the life of the Church are to be discussed exclusively within the appropriate ecclesiastical bodies and in accordance with canonical regulations.

  It is troubling that the aforementioned ten bishops have, to date, failed to respond to the appeals and invitations addressed to them by the Mother See and continue to avoid meetings and discussions with the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as with the Supreme Spiritual Council, on matters of concern to them.

  c. It must be emphasized that matters of canonical order and Church reforms do not fall within the purview of any self-proclaimed council, but rather pertain to the competence of the Hierarchy of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and its highest structures.

  d. Such imprudent steps may lead to a schism, with grave consequences. 

  On the same day, a statement from the Armenian Apostolic Church’s  Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese, headed by the brother of Catholicos Karekin, issued a statement supporting the statement of the Mother See.  https://alphanews.am/en/russian-and-new-nakhichevan-diocese-calls-for-faithfulness-to-holy-etchmiadzin-and-catholicos-of-all-armenians/

  January 6 is the day celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church as Christmas.  Pashinyan invited those who wished to support the initiative to take part in a procession at 13:30 on Christmas Day from the Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator to the Holy Mother of God Cathedral.  https://www.panorama.am/am/news/2026/01/05/%D5%93%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AD%D5%BF%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A9/3148941  Prior to the procession, Pashinyan and wife attended the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Gregory.  It is reported that Catholicos Karekin was not commemorated in the Liturgy.  This failure to commemorate and the references to the “de facto head” of the Church is apparently based on the contentions made by Pashinyan in June that Karekin had fathered a child and was therefore not eligible under the statutes of the Church to be its head.  See https://asbarez.com/pashinyan-demands-catholicos-karekin-iis-resignation/#:~:text=In%20his%20latest%20Facebook%20post%2C,celibacy%20and%20fathered%20a%20child.

  The following a video from Pashinyan showing the procession on January 6:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VkhKoL_9xO0.  The following is a photo of the procession taken by a third party on a tall building:   https://www.facebook.com/vazgen.manukyan.880122/posts/%D5%A1%D5%BC%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%A5%D5%AC%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%BD%D5%B8%D6%82%D6%80%D5%A2-%D5%A5%D5%AF%D5%A5%D5%B2%D5%A5%D6%81%D5%B8%D6%82-%D5%A2%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A5%D5%B6%D5%B8%D6%80%D5%B8%D5%A3%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A9/854085697539521/   In terms of the large number of participants in the procession, one does not know how many are sincere believers and how many are simply political supporters of Pashinyan and his Civil Contract Party.

  Upon reaching the Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Pashinyan gave an address to the crowd.  A detailed summary of the address is found at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1238951.  His address includes such comments as:  “We are facing a situation in which some are trying to use our holiest of holy—our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church—as a point of leverage to act against the Republic of Armenia.  They claim that the government is acting against the Church, but today we have gathered here to say that the government has not acted, is not acting, and can never act against the Church, because the government is a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.  As the Prime Minister elected by the people of the Republic of Armenia, I say that we will not allow anyone to use the Church as a foothold to act against the Republic of Armenia.”  “Today, the de facto head of our Church and his upper circle—the narrow group he has formed—are operating with a sectarian mindset, which means that we must liberate the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church from schism and return it to the people. The clergy have a key and critically important role; they are the pillars of the Church.  However, the Church belongs to Jesus Christ and exists for the people. The Church is the place where a person communes with Jesus Christ.  But today, unfortunately, Jesus Christ has been pushed to the margins in our Church.  Our Savior has been isolated.  The good news, however, is that our Church is already emerging from this isolation.  You saw that the previous day, together with ten bishops, we made a decision and signed a statement announcing the launch of reforms in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.”

  I am certainly not an expert on the religious or political situation in Armenia.  However, I realize that it is very complex.  One must understand that much has occurred between the church and state prior to the three days described above.  Both the Church and Pashinyan have attacked each other.  At https://www.dw.com/en/armenia-archbishop-priests-arrests-apostolic-church-nagorno-karabakh/a-74388086, an article by DW states:

  The Armenian Apostolic Church's relationship with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government, which came to power in 2018, was initially neutral but has gradually deteriorated and become openly confrontational following Armenia's defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.  One major strain on bilateral ties emerged when Karekin II, among others, called for Pashinyan's resignation after the war, blaming his leadership for the defeat.

  Along with several opposition protests demanding Pashinyan's resignation, the most significant pressure came in 2024 from the Holy Struggle movement, led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.  Starting as a protest over the border delimitation issues with Azerbaijan in the Tavush region of Armenia, where Galstanyan served as diocesan primate, the Holy Struggle movement evolved into mass anti-government protests.  It also saw the direct political involvement of a priest, with Galstanyan attempting to become prime minister; however, it failed to gain momentum.

  On the other hand, the Armenian government has arrested bishops and priests.   For example, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison; Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was arrested on June 25; Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan (a nephew of Karekin) was arrested October 15; Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan (Chancellor of Etchmiadzin) was arrested on December 4.   Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian – Armenian billionaire, was arrested on June 18 after making public comments in support of the Church.  Karapetyan is now represented by the Robert Amsterdam law firm, which is also representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church internationally.  Amsterdam issued in October 2025 a 61-page “white paper” entitled: “Armenia’s Authoritarian Turn: Nikol Pashinyan and the Persecution of Samvel Karapetyan and Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.”  The entire paper can be read at  https://freekarapetyan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Armenia-EN-Apostolic-A4-v1a.pdf .

  In considering the situation, one must consider not only the past, but also the future.  Armenia will hold extremely important parliamentary elections on June 4 of this year.  Pashinyan’s actions may be motivated, at least in part, on his strategy for his Civil Contract Party to prevail in these elections.  The political views of individual Armenians may greatly influence how they view Pashinyan’s actions against the Church. 

  One must wait and see whether the movement started by Pashinyan and the ten bishops will grow and be successful.  One should hope and pray that partisan or selfish interests will not prevail and that Armenia will indeed have a HOLY Church.

   

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA