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

• 23 February 2026: Interviews of Metropolitan Anthony and Archbishop Sylvester in Serbian media

  In my past newsletters, I have referred to Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil (Chancellor of the UOC) as being the informal spokesperson of the wing of the UOC which does not want to take steps leading toward the autocephaly of the UOC and Archbishop Sylvester of Bilhorod (Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy) as being the informal spokesperson for the wing of the UOC which does desire autocephaly.  On October 14, 2025,  I provided to the recipients of this newsletter a paper with English translations of the remarks which Anthony and Sylvester had made on their respective Facebook pages and which reflected their divergent views.  Now both Metropolitan Anthony and Archbishop Sylvester have given interviews to the Serbian media.  Metropolitan Anthony’s interview was given to the Serbian church publication Život Crkve (Life of the Church) and was posted on December 24, 2025, at https://zivotcrkve.rs/blog/mitropolit-antonije-pakanich-odbrana-svetina-i-prava-vernika-je-oblik-ispovednishtva-intervju.  Archbishop Sylvester’ interview was given to the Serbian weekly magazine Vreme (Time) and was posted on February 12, 2026, at https://vreme.com/svet/ne-smemo-dozvoliti-samoizolaciju/.  The Google Chrome translation tool works very well on both of these interviews.

  I believe that the two interviews are very interesting and should be read in their entirety.  I have pasted below certain excerpts from the two interviews. 

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

  Archbishop Sylvester of Bilhorod 

  [The current relations between the UOC and the OCU are] Very complex.  There is no official dialogue between us.  At the same time, of course, in some cases there is informal communication.  The main problem that burdens our relations is violence on religious grounds.  Since the founding of the OCU, and especially after the beginning of the full scale of Russian military aggression, we have witnessed numerous cases of violent takeover of the temples of our Church, in which representatives of the OCU directly participated.  On the Internet, one can easily find videos of the taking of temples in Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and other places.  They recorded obvious acts of violence against our clergy and believers.  At the same time, the leadership of the OCU did not give an appropriate assessment of these events, nor did any priest of the OCU who directly participated in the violence bear canonical sanctions.  All of this puts a serious strain on our relations and makes official dialogue practically impossible....

  Today, the UOC does not have any contacts with Moscow, but at the same time we do not have any contacts with the Church of Constantinople.  I personally think that this is a very dangerous situation, because we are threatened with gradual self-isolation.  This must not be allowed under any circumstances.  That is why I have already said publicly several times that our Church could very well start an ecclesiastical-diplomatic dialogue with the Church of Constantinople, so that we could at least learn to hear and understand each other and begin the search for a way out of this impasse.  I believe that the church's attitude towards complex ecclesiastical-canonical issues consists in seeking a way out of divisions, not in deepening and cementing them….

  First of all, it is obvious to me that in our relations with the Moscow Patriarchate we have already passed the "point of no return" and there can be no question of the return of our Church under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.   One does not need to be a prophet to understand that the ROC, by supporting the war against Ukraine, has lost respect in the eyes of Ukrainians.  And if so, then, secondly, I believe that the UOC, as an independent Church, must think about building a new type of relationship with other local Churches.  There is simply no other way.  Today our Church exists as a completely independent one.  We independently open dioceses and ordain bishops, we independently prepare holy myrrh, we open parishes abroad, where millions of Ukrainians have found themselves today.  We already have the experience of independently solving all issues of internal church life.  It is only necessary that other local Churches recognize this independence.   It is clear that there is a serious problem here, since the Church of Constantinople, as well as several other local Churches, believe that there is already an autocephalous Church in Ukraine – the OCU.  But precisely because of this, in order to find a viable form of existence for Orthodoxy in Ukraine in the future, it is necessary to start a calm and open discussion on this issue with other local Churches.  The longer we all collectively refuse such a conversation, the more complex it will be to solve this problem in the future….

  I think that in every local Church there are different currents of ideas and different groups among bishops, clergy, monks and believers.  This is a normal situation, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not an exception in this regard. Even during the time of the blessed Metropolitan Volodymyr, who passed away in 2014, as well as during the time of the current head, Metropolitan Onufry, there were always internal discussions in our Church.  It is very important that supporters of different views can express their opinions openly.

  Recently, in the fall of 2025, a public discussion developed within our Church about our current canonical status and the future directions of the development of the UOC. The bishops expressed their views in interviews, in texts, as well as on social networks.  During that polemic, it became clear that among the bishops of the UOC there are very different views on the future of our Church.  On the one hand, there are those who no longer see our Church as part of the Moscow Patriarchate.  On the other hand, there are those who insist that even today we remain part of the Russian Orthodox Church and that all decisions made at the UOC Council in May 2022 have no legal force.  However, that group is, in my opinion, significantly smaller than the first.  I want to emphasize that this is not about any kind of schism.  We are all members of the same Church and partake of the same Chalice.  But there is an open discussion between us, and that is extremely important.  I am absolutely convinced that the very existence of the discussion is a testimony to the increased interest in this topic among the clergy and the faithful.  It is simply impossible to start a broad discussion if there is no resonance for it among believers.  Unfortunately, we know examples from the life of other local Churches where every open discussion is stifled at the very beginning.  Fortunately, in our UOC, even in the most difficult conditions of the war, there is no "conspiratorial silence".   We have preserved the ability to openly express our opinions and conduct dialogue….

  Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil

  At the same time, it should be noted that the issue of a complete and comprehensive ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church remains extremely complex, both legally and practically, given that it is a huge religious community with millions of believers, thousands of parishes, monasteries and clergy.  Any attempt at a complete ban would inevitably lead to serious legal, social and humanitarian consequences.  Experience shows that, even when a church is taken away from us, believers and priests remain faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  In such cases, they are forced to gather for worship in apartments or other premises adapted for that purpose.  Unfortunately, the confiscated churches in most cases remain empty because those who occupied them never intended to come to them.  For them, it is just a political action that sometimes has political motives, but more often is guided by financial interests….

  We are not aware of any public, official, and unambiguous statements by the Patriarchate of Constantinople that would clearly and explicitly condemn the violent occupation of Ukrainian Orthodox Church temples, violence against believers, desecration of holy sites, or attacks on bishops and clergy.  Nor have public appeals been made to supporters of the "OCU" calling for an immediate cessation of such actions and for respect for canonical and civil order.  Our believers experience this silence as extremely painful and scandalous, since in the church's consciousness, violence, coercion, and the theft of sacred things are essentially incompatible with the spirit of authentic Christianity….

  We all deeply sympathize and suffer because of the division of Orthodox society in our country.  Nevertheless, church life has its own internal laws, which must be the starting point in resolving all the problems that have arisen.  An attempt to view the issue of the unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the "OCU" exclusively or primarily with a political or rational key is a wrong approach; it requires, first of all, respect for church, canonical and spiritual principles…. In answering this question, we should determine the correct church perspective from the very beginning, since in secular, and even in certain church-journalist discussions, concepts that are essentially different in the Orthodox consciousness are often mixed.  In Orthodoxy, unification is possible exclusively as a restoration of canonical and Eucharistic unity, and not as a compromise between religious structures or as an administrative merger of organizations.  The Church is not a community based on compromise, but the Body of Christ, which lives by the grace of the Holy Spirit.  That is why it should be clearly stated: unification is possible exclusively on canonical grounds.  The history of the Church testifies that every true restoration of unity was achieved through a return to canonical communion, the restoration of apostolic succession, as well as through repentance for church divisions and lawlessness.  Without this, there can only be talk of external agreement, but not of church unity….

  Therefore, in the form in which unification is sometimes presented in the media — as a compromise or mutual recognition without a canonical resolution of the problem — it is unsustainable and unacceptable to the Orthodox Church.  It contradicts the very foundations of the church’s being and challenges the notion of grace, the sacraments, and apostolic succession.  However, I would like to emphasize once again: we wish and pray that within the borders of our country there is one single Church — but precisely the Church founded by Christ the Savior, for which the commandment of love is the cornerstone, and canonical norms are the primary means in resolving both simple and complex issues….

  As for the Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine, it does not represent an influential or independent church structure. Its existence is primarily of an auxiliary and representative nature.  Therefore, the understanding that the Exarchate could become some kind of alternative “center of unification” for Orthodox bishops and believers who do not accept the “OCU” does not correspond to Orthodox ecclesiology.  In Orthodoxy, it is not the structure itself, nor jurisdictional affiliation as such, that unites, but rather residence in the canonical Church, in which the apostolic faith, canonical order and Eucharistic unity are preserved.  Apart from this, it is not possible to create any new “center”….

  A true renewal of communion is possible only with the recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the only canonical Church in Ukraine, with a renunciation of support for schismatic structures and a return to the conciliar, pan-church way of resolving issues concerning the fullness of universal Orthodoxy.  Without this, no outward forms of "coexistence" or the creation of "parallel centers" will lead to true peace in the Church …

• 20 February 2026: OCU - UOC dialogue, Armenian bishops meet & other news

  Ukraine

  During the period January 4- 6, 2026, a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), headed by its primate Metropolitan Epifany, was at the Phanar to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the signing and presentation of the Tomos on the autocephaly of the OCU.  https://www.pomisna.info/uk/vsi-novyny/rozpochavsya-vizyt-predstoyatelya-ptsu-do-vselenskogo-patriarhatu-3/  The second-ranking hierarch of the OCU delegation was Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky) of Vinnytsia and Bar.  On international trips, Metropolitan Epifany is almost always accompanied by Metropolitan Evstraty (Zorya) of Bila Tserkva.  However, Metropolitan Evstraty was not present on this trip.  Although Metropolitan Evstraty’s Facebook page usually includes the activities of Metropolitan Epifany, his page is completely silent about this visit of the delegation to the Phanar.  https://www.facebook.com/yevstr?eid=ARAYsOzu1tE3zMtyOrmwuPZ951FrKLNM_N1G4hvjz_yFe20WpAIFoISI-Mk8IA48zdwr5DsM5Bmc9DAW  As discussed below, it is very possible that the Phanar specifically requested that Simeon be part of the OCU delegation and that Evstraty not be a part of the delegation.  As a former hierarch of the UOC, Simeon has maintained some personal relations with the UOC hierarchy.  On the other hand, Evstraty has been a “hawk” who continually attacks the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

  Metropolitan Simeon is one of two hierarchs of the UOC who participated in the “unification” council and who joined the OCU.  Although the UOC prohibited Simeon practicing the priesthood after he left the UOC, there is no issue about the validity of his ordination, and he has never been defrocked.  Simeon had been well-regarded in the UOC.  After the death of Metropolitan Volodymyr, primate of the UOC, Simeon was one of three candidates on the first round of voting in the election for a new UOC primate.  https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/patriarch-kirill-affirms-election-of-metropolitan-onufriy-as-ukrainian-church-leader-360495.html   In the election at the 2018 “unification” council to select a primate for the new autocephalous church of Ukraine, it was reported that the favorite candidate of both the Ecumenical Patriarchate and President Poroshenko was Metropolitan Simeon.  However, because of the insistence by Filaret (the head of the UOC-KP) and his control over the UOC-KP bishops, Metropolitan Epifany was elected primate of the OCU.  In the final round of voting at the 2018 council, Epifany received 36 votes, and Simeon received 28 votes.   Simeon was subsequently made secretary of the Synod of the OCU and one of three permanent members of the Synod.

  On February 2, 2026, a regular meeting of the OCU Synod was held.  The official statement of the results of the meeting are posted at:  https://www.pomisna.info/uk/vsi-novyny/ofitsijne-povidomlennya-pro-zasidannya-svyashhennogo-synodu-2-lyutogo-2026-r/  The most important action was to establish a “Synodal Commission on Dialogue” with the UOC under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Simeon.  It is almost certain that the establishment of the Commission and the selection of Simeon as chairman are the results of the meeting between Metropolitan Epifany and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in early January.  Over the past year, there have been a number of reports by commentators that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has been very disappointed that the OCU has not sought to improve relations with the UOC.  Although the OCU has repeatedly stated that it invites the UOC to engage in a dialogue, the actions by the OCU against the UOC have been very aggressive and have made relations much worse.  These actions include being one of the most vocal advocates for the enactment of Law 8349, seeking to obtain churches and property of the UOC, and speaking in extremely negative terms about the UOC.  There have also been comments that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at age 85, wishes to see in his lifetime the formation of a single united Orthodox church in Ukraine and not leave his office with the bitter divisions which now exist.  It appears that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew believes, for good reason, that Metropolitan Simeon is the best person to head a dialogue with the UOC.  On February 3, Metropolitan Epifany received from Bartholomew a very glowing letter congratulating Metropolitan Epifany on the seventh anniversary of his enthronement and on his birthday.  https://www.pomisna.info/uk/vsi-novyny/pryvitalnyj-lyst-jogo-vsesvyatosti-vselenskogo-patriarha-varfolomiya/   It is possible that this very positive letter was a quid pro quo for Epifany agreeing to the commission headed by Simeon.

  The OCU Synod on February 2 also transferred Metropolitan Simeon with his consent from his position as head of the diocese of Vinnytsia and Bar to being the head of the diocese of Khmelnytskyi.   Simeon had been head of the Vinnytsia diocese since 2007, first under the UOC and then under the OCU.  The transfer came as a surprise to many.  However, it may make sense in view of his role of heading a dialogue with the UOC.  Simeon was born in a village near Khmelnytskyi and spent his youth in the area.  When Simeon transferred to the OCU, the UOC appointed Metropolitan Varsonofy to head the Vinnytsia diocese for the UOC.  There ensued a competition between Simeon and Varsonofy for the loyalty of the priests of the diocese and for the churches.  This competition presumably left some scars.  In moving to Khmelnytskyi, Simeon in a sense leaves these scars behind him.  In Khmelnytskyi, the head of the UOC diocese is Metropolitan Viktor (Kotsaba), age 42.  He is a member of the wing of the UOC which supports moving toward autocephaly.  Previously, he had been the representative of the UOC to European international organizations.  In this role, he presumably had contact with the various Orthodox churches including the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  He is a distant relative of the past primate of the UOC, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan).  He considers Metropolitan Volodymor, who was open to dialogue, as his model. In Khmelnytskyi, it is possible that Simeon and Viktor may now develop a working and civil relationship which could be a model for other dioceses.  Thus, the transfer of Simeon to Khmelnytskyi may be part of the strategy worked out at the Phanar in early January.

  Simeon and Viktor already have a problem that they can seek to resolve.  The official website of the UOC has posted a report that on February 9 unidentified individuals seized the UOC church in the village of Kuzmin, Khmelnytskyi region.  https://uoc-news.church/2026/02/10/vidbulosya-zaxoplennya-xramu-xmelnickoji-jeparxiji/#2026-02-18   Maybe the two metropolitans can work together to solve the problem in Kuzmin.  It would be a good start to their relationship.

  Armenia

  In my last four newsletters, I have reported on the increasing tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), headed by Catholicos Karekin II,  and the Armenian government, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.  See https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/  The most recent tensions began when Catholicos Karekin by a patriarchal decree removed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan from his position as primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn (Masis).  Saroyan was one of the ten bishops of AAC who, together with the Prime Minister, signed on January 4 a document which urged the retirement of Catholicos Karekin and which created a Coordinating Council to reform the AAC.  Saroyan responded to the decree by filing a lawsuit challenging his removal.  The judge in the lawsuit issued an order precluding the removal of Saroyan during the pendency of the lawsuit.  The response of the AAC was to defrock Saroyan.  The defrocking had been recommended by AAC’s Supreme Spiritual Council on January 27, and on the same day Catholicos Karekin issued a decree defrocking Saroyan.  As reported in my last newsletter,  the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia then initiated on January 29 criminal proceedings against six AAC bishops who served on the Supreme Spiritual Council.  The criminal proceedings were based on the ground that the defrocking of Saroyan failed to comply with the judge’s order issued in the lawsuit filed by Saroyan.  The initiation of criminal proceedings also included an order precluding the bishops from leaving Armenia.  This meant that the six bishops would not be able to attend in person the Bishops’ Council of the AAC which had been scheduled for February 16 – 19 at St. Pölten, Austria.

  On February 14, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal proceedings against Catholicos Karekin for issuing the decree defrocking Saroyan. https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-14-02-2026/12136    As in the case of the six bishops, it was alleged that the Catholicos had violated the judge’s order in the Saroyan lawsuit.  The criminal proceedings also meant that the Catholicos was prevented from leaving Armenia and thus could not attend the Bishops’ Council in St. Pölten.  Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the Mother See, affirmed that the meeting at St. Pölten would still be held as scheduled.  He stated that the meeting would no longer be considered a Bishops’ Council.  He said:  “Our bishops will gather in Austria.  In the absence of the Catholicos, it becomes a meeting of bishops, where our bishops will gather to discuss various issues, especially today's situations.”    https://www.panorama.am/am/news/2026/02/15/%D5%86%D5%A1%D5%A9%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%80%D5%B8%D5%BE%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%B6%D5%AB%D5%BD%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6/3152093  

  On February 18, the ACC issued a press release concerning the beginning of the meeting in St. Pölten.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-18-02-2026/12140  The release includes the following statements:  On February 17, the Episcopal Assembly convened in St. Pölten, Austria, with the participation of twenty-five archbishops and bishops of the Catholicosate of All Armenians of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, including representatives from the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople.  In the morning, the assembly members attended the Sunrise Hour Service.  Following a period of spiritual retreat and prayer, the afternoon session of the assembly commenced.  The Episcopal Assembly opened with the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians on the topic of unity.  His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, addressed the assembly members in an online pastoral message.  Messages of greeting were subsequently conveyed to the participants by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manoukian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople.  After discussing and approving the agenda, a Council was elected to oversee the Episcopal Assembly's further work.  On the same day, an Evening Service was held at the Cathedral of St. Pölten with the participation of the bishops, during which Bishop Alois Schwarz, Primate of the Catholic Church in St. Pölten, [who hosted the meeting at his church facilities] delivered his welcoming address.”  A very short video of the meeting is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7OJA8O10gQ.

  Of the 25 bishops physically present at the meeting, only two were from Armenia --  Bishop Ararat Kaltakjian and Bishop Daniel Findikyan.  https://www.kathpress.at/goto/meldung/2555011/st.-poelten-armenische-bischoefe-ringen-um-wege-aus-der-krise   It appears that the bishops from Armenia who did not attend were either boycotting members of the “reform council” or bishops prohibited by criminal cases from leaving Armenia.  The website Armenian Sputnik News gives the following information on the episcopate of the AAC:  There are a total of 54 bishops.  Ten bishops head dioceses in Armenia and 23 bishops head dioceses in the diaspora.  About ten bishops hold special offices, and about ten are retired.  https://arm.sputniknews.ru/20260218/avstriajum-meknarkel-e-episkvopvosac-havaqy-katvoghikvosn-ir-patgamy-hghel-e-arcanc-98931562.html 

  On the last day of the meeting, February 19, all 25 of the bishops who physically attended the meeting at St. Pölten signed a statement.  The signers included Archbishop Hovnan Terteryan (primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America), one of the ten bishops who were members of the Coordinating Council to reform the AAC.  The complete text of the statement of February 19 is found at https://news.am/arm/news/931454.html.  The statement includes the follow appeals to the Armenian government and to the eight bishops of the Coordinating Council:

  In this context, the episcopal assembly expresses deep concern regarding the undesirable current state of church-state relations and, in this dangerous situation, calls on the Armenian authorities to: 

  - stop the persecution of the Church and respect the centuries-old sovereignty and autonomy of the Church, anchoring church-state relations on mutual respect, a clear separation of powers, and the primacy of the national interest,

  - put an end to the repression of clergymen and the nationally elected Patriarch of All Armenians through fabricated accusations and slander,

  - release our four imprisoned holy brothers, the priest, as well as the Armenians who stood up in defense of the Church,

  - act exclusively in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, legislation and international laws and remain faithful to the proclaimed democratic principles, guaranteeing freedom of conscience, religion and belief in the country, ensuring social solidarity instead of division,

  - Resolve existing problems and contradictions in the spirit of dialogue, without preconditions, refraining from unpromising ultimatum talk.

  We, the participants in the Episcopal Conference, simultaneously urge the eight deviant bishops:

  - act with the awareness of the vow of loyalty and the call to service to Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians,

  - to raise and resolve issues related to intra-church life exclusively in authorized Church bodies,

  - to refrain from anti-canonical actions, debilitating steps and separatist manifestations that threaten to cause schism, weakening the mission of the Church in the life of our believing people.  In this context, the discounting of the part of the memorial of His Holiness the Patriarch in the Holy Liturgy on any grounds is ecclesiologically unacceptable and a direct blow to the unity of Holy Etchmiadzin and the unity of the Armenian Church.

  Considering any reform movement under external coercion unacceptable, we see an imperative need to overcome the challenges facing the Armenian Church and carry out the work of reform only in the Episcopal Conference and in the highest canonical bodies of the church.

  We, the bishops of the Armenian Church, reaffirm our loyalty to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians as a visible symbol and guarantee of the unity, reconciliation, and solidarity of the Church, for “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33).

  With the blessing of the Armenian Patriarch, we are committed to contributing to the examination and overcoming of the challenges facing the Church, and to further strengthening our spiritual ministry in the lives of our people, through the regular convening of the Episcopal Conference.

  Although the statement strongly condemns certain actions against the ACC, it shows an openness to discussing the problems with the government and an openness to discussing internally the problems facing the AAC.  After the creation of the “reform council,” Archbishop Hovnan Terteryan of the Western Diocese of North America issued a statement giving his reasons for joining the reform council and outlining serious problems that were not being resolved by the Catholicos.   https://www.facebook.com/westerndiocese/posts/pfbid0uCTazzLKiEChTS4JB3ZtseQ7YYTin4sWqgJaUNnYjLvRGdos6wGaDfyZ96QK3Topl.  (no longer posted)  According to the statement issued by the 25 bishops, there were three topics discussed at their meeting.  The first was “’The Mission of the Church in the Modern Era and the Current Challenges in the Homeland and the Diaspora’ (speaker: Archbishop Hovnan Terteryan).”  Thus, Hovnan was given the floor to discuss his concerns before all of the attending bishops.  The attending bishops “committed to contributing to the examination and overcoming of the challenges facing the Church, and to further strengthening our spiritual ministry in the lives of our people, through the regular convening of the Episcopal Conference.”  The attending bishops also stated: “Considering any reform movement under external coercion unacceptable, we see an imperative need to overcome the challenges facing the Armenian Church and carry out the work of reform only in the Episcopal Conference and in the highest canonical bodies of the church.”  In a sense, this is a victory for Hovnan.  The challenges, presumably including those that he discussed, would be considered by regular meetings of the entire episcopate as opposed to being decided solely by Catholicos Karekin.  No discipline was recommended by the 25 bishops with respect to the eight remaining bishops of the reform council.  The 25 bishops also recommended entering into a dialogue with the government without preconditions. 

  Other news

  Archbishop Symeon, the new abbot of the famous and ancient Monastery of St. Catherine at the base of Mt. Sinai, has given a recent interview.  https://www.orthodoxianewsagency.gr/ieres-mones/moni-sina-anisyxia-gia-ta-touristika-sxedia-tis-aigyptou-aisiodoksia-gia-tin-ananeosi-pronomion/  In the interview, I heard for the first time that the decision of the Court of Appeal of Ismailia, which held that the Monastery is the property of the Egyptian government, is being appealed by the Monastery to “the highest court of Egypt.”  However, Archbishop Symeon remains optimistic that the dispute can be resolved through current negotiations between the governments of Greece and Egypt.

  In Estonia, the Constitutional Review Chamber of the Estonian Supreme Court, consisting of panel of five justices, held a public hearing on February 2, 2026, lasting more than three hours, on Estonian President Alar Karis’ application for a declaration that certain parts of the “Act Amending the Churches and Congregations Act" are unconstitutional.  This Act had been passed by the Riigikogu (Estonian parliament) on June 18 and again on September 17, 2025.  The most important provision in the Act is that it prohibits an Estonian religious organization from being  “affiliated” [“seotud” in Estonian] with the Moscow Patriarchate.   After hearing arguments, the panel of five justices issued an order that provided in part:  “Since the panel had fundamental disagreements during the deliberations of the matter, including regarding the legal clarity, necessity and moderation of the contested law, the panel will refer the case to the general assembly for resolution (first sentence of Section 3(3) of the Constitutional Review Judicial Procedure Act).”   This means that the panel will not decide the case, but that the case has been transferred to the general assembly (en banc hearing) of the Estonian Supreme Court, which includes all of the 19 Supreme Court justices.  https://www.err.ee/1609931639/kirikute-ja-koguduste-seaduse-lahendi-teeb-riigikohtu-uldkogu.   Today, February 19, the Estonian Supreme Court made the following announcement:  “The Supreme Court's plenary assembly agreed this week that the constitutionality of the amendments to the Churches and Congregation Act will be discussed at meetings on March 24 and May 5.  The court's decision will be published no later than June.”  https://www.riigikohus.ee/et/uudiste-arhiiv/riigikohus-avaldab-kirikute-ja-koguduste-seaduse-asjas-otsuse-hiljemalt-juunikuus

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

• 16 February 2026: Was the criminal conviction of Metropolitan Feodosy of Cherkasy justified?

  One of the most vocal hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is Metropolitan Feodosy (Snigirev) of Cherkasy and Kaniv.  He is a native of Kyiv and is 51 years old.  He has headed the Cherkasy Diocese since 2020 and has been a metropolitan since 2021.  Like Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil, he is a member of the wing of the UOC which opposes steps towards autocephaly.   He has taken various actions that have attracted media attention.  For example, on October 9, 2023, he addressed a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by video recording with respect to the actions taken against the UOC in Ukraine. https://spzh.eu/en/news/76374-metropolitan-of-cherkasy-addresses-the-un-council  He wrote a public appeal to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew urging him to revoke the Tomos granted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).  https://orthodoxtimes.com/a-response-to-metropolitan-theodosius-of-cherkasy/#google_vignette  When Archbishop Sylvester, rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy, gave a long interview in which he advocated complete separation from the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Feodosy was invited to give and did give a long rebuttal interview.  See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT4hHjQQoLo and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qItqFSj4JQ. 

  On February 10, 2026, an opinion was released by the Prydniprovsky district court of the city of Cherkasy finding that Metropolitan Feodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv (UOC) was guilty of the criminal offense of violating Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.  The full text of the opinion is posted at https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/133901853 .  Part 1 of Article 161 prohibits in relevant part:  “Intentional actions aimed at inciting national, regional, racial or religious enmity and hatred, at humiliating national honor and dignity, or offending the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs….”  https://court.opendatabot.ua/criminal/161  He was fined 8,500 UAH ($197.57) plus 23,475 UAH ($545.65) for the cost of the prosecution’s experts.

  In the opinion, numbers are substituted for the names of the persons.  Metropolitan Feodosy, who chose not to testify as a witness, but who delivered a closing argument, is “Person 6.”   Yosyp Zasansky, who was a priest of the UOC and became a priest of the OCU, is “Person 9.”  The vast majority of the opinion consists of the judge’s summary of the testimony of the various witnesses.  There are certainly background facts for which the testimony was not disputed.  These facts include the following: The events of the case related to the property of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Cherkasy.  [Cherkasy is a city of approximately 260,000 and is located on the Dnipro River approximately 200 km southeast of Kyiv.]   The property also contained a building which was the home of a community of religious sisters.  Also residing on the property was UOC Archbishop Ioann [of Zolotonosha; biography at https://ep-ioann.church.ua/], vicar bishop of Cherkasy and superior of the religious community.   According to official records in the case, those attending a “parish meeting” of “believing citizens” on August 10, 2023, voted to change the affiliation of the parish church to the OCU.  The new statute of the church was registered on August 21, 2023, by a decree by the Cherkasy governmental authorities.  The UOC did not surrender the property subsequent to the registration.  On November 16, 2023, Priest Yosyp Zasansky was appointed rector of the church by the OCU bishop.  Of the seven UOC priests associated with the parish, only Zasansky transferred to the OCU.  A day or two prior to November 20, a meeting was held in the church in which a large group including priests and parishioners voted unanimously to remain with the UOC.   On November 20, a group of 40-50 men climbed the fence at the property and forcefully evicted the religious sisters and Archbishop Ioann from the property.  The violent confrontation, including injuries, was described in testimony by Persons 37, 39, 40, and 44.  Archbishop Ioann (Person 47) testified that he was dragged by the men and expelled through the gate. 

  On Christmas day, January 7, 2024, Metropolitan Feodosy visited Archbishop Ioann and the religious sisters who were residing in the home of a parishioner.  At that time, he gave a sermon.  On January 8, a video of the sermon was posted on the Facebook page of the Cherkasy diocese.  It was also posted on YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBGOAoHf3vc   The video has the caption, “WORD OF METROPOLITAN THEODOSY TO THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY OF THE SEIZED MONASTERY IN CHERKASY,”   The criminal case against Metropolitan Feodosy of Cherkasy is based solely on his words in this video.  The complete text of his words, delivered in the Russian language, is found in the opinion.  An English translation is provided below.  I have placed in bold font the words that the prosecution contended violated Part 1 of Article 161. 

  “Your Eminence, dear Vladika Ioann, sisters of this holy monastery, parishioners, and fathers who have served and continue to serve here, I warmly greet you today on the day of the Nativity of Christ.  This is the first time you are celebrating the Nativity of Christ under such circumstances.  We all remember, and the wounds are still deep and painful, the events that occurred not long ago, when we all lost our ancient, historic monastery church and its monastic buildings.  Now, the invaders, slanderers claim that there was no monastery.  [Сейчас захватчики, клеветники рассказывают, что никакого монастыря не было.]  True, there wasn't a men's monastery established by the synodal decision, but there was a women’s monastery.  A women’s cell [женская обитель], gathered around Vladika Ioann as their spiritual father [духовника], gathered the sisters in mantle tonsure [in the small schema], and here they are before us.  The cell lived and continues to live a monastic life, with prayer, obedience, invocation to God, spiritual sighs.  Yes, after the monastery was seized [после того как был захвачен монастырь], the sisters, along with Valdyka Ioann, were hospitably received into the Pokrovsky Skete of the Krasnogorsk Zolotonoshsky Monastery.  Mother Abbess Arsenia invited them.  Vladika Ioann and I thought this was a good, the best option, and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry gave his blessing for the sisters' temporary stay with the monastery's abbot, until... until the time comes when our churches and monasteries will return to the bosom of the canonical Church [вернутся в лоно канонической церкви] and the prayers and voices of our faithful and our monastics will once again resound within them.  But besides the sisters and monastic brethren, there are, of course, parishioners, and these parishioners cannot, of course, move to the Krasnogorsk Monastery skete.   Parishioners, who... the average age is over 60, over 70, who have attended this church their entire lives, from the fifties to the sixties of the twentieth century, and whose parents were baptized here.   Where are they supposed to go?  And so, thank God, there is this small building, owned by the parishioners, where the community that used to be a parish community at the women’s monastery gathers.  Of course, not the entire community.   Of course, many have moved to the cathedral, and some to other churches in Cherkasy, but some parishioners simply find it physically difficult to get anywhere — due to age, health, and so you are here, and so the Liturgy is celebrated here.  Today, two Divine Liturgies were celebrated — one with 40 people, the other with 30, for a total of 70.  These are our grandmothers, grandfathers, who find it difficult to reach the cathedral or other churches, and this building, not far from the seized monastery [от захваченного монастыря], they so love this place, they have become so accustomed to it over the decades, that they cannot leave it.  And with our blessing, the Liturgy is celebrated here — two Liturgies on Sundays, confession, and communion for the women’s monastery parishioners.  And, of course, the sisters come, and, of course, Vladika Archbishop Ioann is here regularly, because clergy served in the monastery.  How many people?  Seven?  Yes, probably?  Seven people.  The slanderers also watch [Тоже клеветники смотрят] a video recording of the actual meeting of the parish and monastic community of this monastery, which unanimously confirmed its adherence to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  The slanderers watch [Клеветники смотрят говорят] and say, "Look!  They've rounded up the priests!"  Who did they round up?  These are all the monastery's priests; there were seven priests serving in the monastery, led by the archbishop.  One turned out to be Judas.  [Один Иудой оказался.]   And all the others continue to serve as before, and the sisters remain as they were.  The monastery remains in exile, just as it was before.  And the parishioners who pray nearby, who have difficulty getting to other churches, those who can, go to other churches because the space here is quite cramped.  Vladika, we thank you for not abandoning your spiritual care, even in the diaspora, to your spiritual children, who with such sorrow in their hearts were forced to leave the sacred walls of their fathers, mothers, and grandparents' churches. There is no doubt that the hour will come when we will return to our churches, when prayer will resound there once again.  And today, on the day of Christ's Nativity, I wish that this time would come soon, that the Lord, in His mercy, would forgive us all our sins, weaknesses, and our unworthiness, which, among other things, has become the cause of such oppression and persecution of our Church.  If we were all saints, if we would not have to humble ourselves in this life to be saved, the Lord would not have allowed us such trials.  The Lord allows them for our own good.  May God only grant that these trials will not be beyond our strength, may God grant that these trials will end as soon as possible.  May God grant this, and I wish this with all my heart for all of us, that this will happen as quickly as possible.  Let us pray that this will happen this year, that the war will end, that the persecution of the Church will end, that everything will return to its former calm and peace, and that we can all work together to build spiritual life, to build church life, to build monastic life, and not to spend time defending ourselves, fighting back, fleeing, or hiding.  I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart and wish you God's most abundant and generous blessings this year.  May Our Lord, Vladyka, not abandon any of your children and sisters this year, not even for a moment, and may the Lord fill the sorrow they have suffered with heartfelt peace, comfort, and joy.  May the Lord's blessing be with you....”

  In my opinion, a major question is whether a criminal prosecution for the foregoing remarks is an example of the prosecutor straining to find something with which to convict Metropolitan Feodosy.  Clearly, Metropolitan Feodosy must be a major irritant to many in Ukraine.  However, he is still entitled to be treated fairly by the judicial system.  I believe that the readers of this newsletter are able to look at the language of the criminal statute quoted above and come to their own conclusions as to whether the quoted language of Metropolitan Feodosy violates this statute.

  I will add certain of my own personal observations.  The sermon does not make any reference to the OCU.  The sermon refers to the “canonical Church,” but does not state that the UOC is the only canonical church.  In fact, the judge rejected the testimony of a prosecution expert because the expert had made errors including “a mistake regarding the identification of the UOC as the only canonical church, since the statement itself did not contain such a statement.”  With respect to the use of the word “seized,” the evidence is undisputed that the archbishop and the religious sisters were driven from their monastery by forceful action.  The judge referred to the people involved in the physical confrontation as “unknown persons,” and there is no evidence in the court decision that they were acting pursuant to governmental orders or that they were acting as agents of the OCU.  Based on this, it cannot be said that the use of the term “invaders” was a reference to the OCU.  With respect to the use of the word “slanderers,” the sermon is silent as to whom the “slanderers” are.  There is no evidence at the trial that the OCU or any of its representatives made the statements quoted by Feodosy (“no monastery” and “rounded up the priests”)  The statements could very well be from the secular media or the social media.  [My own research discloses that Ukrinform, the important official State news agency for Ukraine, posted on December 6, 2023 – one month before the sermon – a long article concerning the dispute at the Nativity of the Mother of God parish.  The Ukrinform article stated in part:  “Today, the media resources of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine claim that it is a men's monastery.  However, there is no monastery here and never has been.”  https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3796739-how-parish-wanted-to-become-ukrainian-and-what-moscow-did-about-it.html   Thus, the reference to “slanderers” could well be to the Ukrinform news agency.]

  The judge found that Metropolitan Feodosy in his statement engaged in “intentional actions aimed at inciting religious enmity and hatred, as well as insulting the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs.”   In convicting Metropolitan Feodosy, the judge appears to rely primarily on the use by him of the word “Judas.”  The judge concluded, probably correctly, that this was a reference to Priest Yosyp Zasansky, who left the UOC and joined the OCU as rector of the parish of the Nativity of the Mother of God.  The judge found that Zasandsky had a legal right to change his religious affiliation.  Thus, under the judge’s reasoning, it is a crime under Part 1 of Article 161 to use a word “offending the feelings” of the person making such a change.  One wonders if that can really be the law.  With the very contentious religious atmosphere in Ukraine, one wonders how often feelings are being offended based on one being a member of one religious denomination or another.   Is Metropolitan Feodosii being prosecuted for this, but other persons are not?

  These are my own personal thoughts.  However, I am sure that the readers of this newsletter have their own opinions.

   

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

• 3 February 2026: Escalation of the Armenian Church - State dispute & other news

  The tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church - Etchmiadzin Catholicosate ("AAC"), headed by Catholicos Karekin II, and the Armenian government, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have continued to increase with each side taking stronger actions.  Most recently, the increased tensions have related to the status of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, one of the ten bishops of AAC who, together with the Prime Minister, signed on January 4 a document which urged the retirement of Catholicos Karekin II and which created a Coordinating Council to reform the AAC.  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 confrontations relating to Saroyan began on January 10, when Catholicos Karekin II by a patriarchal decree removed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan from his position as primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn (Masis).  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-10-01-2025/12113  The following reason for the removal was given by the AAC:  “The grounds for the decree were facts of abuse of office, failure to fulfill the duties incumbent upon the Primate, as well as instances of coercion and pressure exercised against the clergy of the diocese.”

  On January 15, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan reacted by filing a civil lawsuit challenging his removal.  The lawsuit was accepted by Edgar Hovhannisyan, judge of the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of the Armavir Region. https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2026/01/16/bishop-lawsuot/3149799  Apparently in order to preserve the status quo pending the final decision on the case, the judge issued on January 16 an order which stated:  “To oblige the respondent religious organization [AAC] and other persons to ensure without hindrance the tenure of Arman Volodya Saroyan (Bishop Gevorg Saroyan) as the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese until the final judicial act is issued in the case.  To prohibit the implementation of any action that may in any way hinder Arman Volodya Saroyan (Bishop Gevorg Saroyan), as the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, from exercising his powers and obligations.”  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/gevorg-episkoposin-kargalouyts-hrchakelou-pastov-kreakan-varouyt-e-nakhadzernvel-kk/33663846.html 

  Apparently in response to the lawsuit, Catholicos Karekin II issued a patriarchal decree on January 27 defrocking Saroyan.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/hy/news/kargaluyts-27-01-2025/12122  The following is a Google translation of the official description of the decree:  “On January 27 of this year, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in advance of the decision of the Supreme Spiritual Council of January 27, 2026, by patriarchal decree, declared Bishop Gevorg Saroyan deposed.  The reason for the dismissal was that he challenged the Patriarchal decree on his dismissal from the position of Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese and his return to Mayravank, hindering the normal activities of the Masyatsotn Diocese and creating an opportunity and condition for government structures to interfere in church life through his lawsuit.  Bishop Gevorg Saroyan has violated the covenant of obedience through canonical deviations and irregular actions.  The deposed clergyman will henceforth be classified among the laity, under the name of the Arman Saroyan.”

  Also on January 27, the AAC’s Supreme Spiritual Council recommended that the Catholicos defrock Saroyan.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-27-01-2025/12121 https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-27-01-2025/12121   In this regard, the announcement from the Council provided:  “The Council also examined the matter of a canonical offense committed by the former Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.  It was noted that by challenging the Patriarchal directive, which released him from his position as diocesan head and ordered his return to the Mother Monastery, he effectively violated his vow of obedience.  He subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, seeking reinstatement to his diocesan office.  The Supreme Spiritual Council strongly condemned the slanderous accusations made by Bishop Gevorg in his public speeches and statements against the Mother See, his fellow clergy, and the Catholicos of All Armenians, regarding such behavior as a gross violation of church order, canonical obedience, and ecclesiastical unity.  The Council recommended that the Catholicos of All Armenians defrock Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.”

  The next step in the progressive escalation was taken by the Armenian government.  On January 31, the six AAC bishops who participated in the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council on January 27 received summons to appear before the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.  According to the news release of the Investigative Committee, criminal proceedings were initiated on January 29 on the grounds that the defrocking of Saroyan failed to comply with the judge’s order issued in the lawsuit filed by Saroyan.  https://www.investigative.am/en/news/36902#  On January 31, the AAC issued a statement protesting the action taken by the Investigative Committee.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/statement01-02-26/12125  The statement by the AAC provides in part as follows:  On January 31, summonses were sent to members of the Supreme Spiritual Council who are clergy, requiring them to appear before the Investigative Committee as defendants.  This constitutes yet another clear indication of the campaign launched against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and of the repressive actions being carried out against the clergy.  Within the framework of the criminal prosecution, the departure from the country of members of the Supreme Spiritual Council holding episcopal rank has been blocked.  This condemnable process represents a gross violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the laws of the Republic of Armenia and in international treaties, aimed at undermining the normal activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church, particularly the work of the upcoming Episcopal Assembly to be held in Austria.

  The absence in Austria of the six bishops, who are now prohibited from leaving Armenia during the pendency of the government’s investigation, may not be enough to preclude the holding of the Bishops’ Council (Episcopal Assembly) in St. Pölten, Austria (scheduled for February 16 to 19).  However, if the six bishops who recommended defrocking Saroyan violated the judge’s order, it would follow logically that Catholicos Karekin II, who issued the actual decree defrocking Saroyan, would have violated the order to an even greater degree.  Thus, the Investigative Committee could now prevent the holding of the Council in Austria by adding the Catholicos as one of the defendants and by prohibiting him from leaving Armenia.  If this were done, it would greatly increase tensions.  Of course, these recent developments do not prohibit the holding of the Bishops’ Council in Armenia as opposed to Austria.

  Although the six bishops will not be at a Council held in Austria, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese of North America, one of the ten bishops of “Coordinating Council,” has now stated that he will attend the Bishops’ Council in Austria.  https://wdacna.com/news/3127/Diocesan-Primate-Archbishop-Hovnan-Derderian%C2%A0will-participate-in-the-Bishops%E2%80%99-Synod  (Jan. 23, 2026)   This statement by Derderian conflicts with an earlier statement by the “Coordinating Council” which stated that its members will not participate in the Bishops’ Council in Austria and which had urged other bishops to boycott the Austrian Council.  There is a media report that Derderian has now decided to attend as a result of pressure exerted on him from within his own diocese.

  In Ukraine, the Commercial Court of the Chernivtsi Region has issued an order that the UOC vacate the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi and transfer it to the OCU.  https://spzh.eu/en/news/90576-court-rules-to-transfer-holy-spirit-cathedral-of-uoc-in-chernivtsi-to-ocu  The full text of the court’s decision can be read though a link in the foregoing article.  Last June, this cathedral was seized for several hours, and two UOC priests were beaten.  This violent seizure was videoed and received considerable international attention.  It was covered in detail by my newsletter of 24 June 2025.  See https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/ 

  Archbishop Sylvester Stoychev, rector of the UOC’s Kyiv Theological Academy, has commented on his Facebook page about a Russian drone attack which last week greatly damaged the Odessa Holy Assumption Men's Monastery where he had spent several years.  https://www.facebook.com/sil.vestr.stojcev/  He remarks: “Sadly, we regularly see reports in the news of destruction or damage to sacred sites, cultural landmarks, historic buildings, etc.  Russian political and military leadership, talking about ‘traditional values’ and ‘fighting against the ungodly Western civilization,’ is actually waging an openly genocidal war, barbarically destroying Ukrainian cities and villages.  The first month of 2026 has shown us new horrific proofs of the genocidal nature of this war.  By massed rocket strikes Russian troops are trying to destroy completely the Ukrainian energy system.  During the heavy frost, our cities are plunged into cold and darkness.  Apartments of thousands and thousands of people are becoming unlivable.” 

  Archbishop Sylvester in very strong words faults the Moscow Patriarchate and its patriarch for supporting the war and for not caring about the sufferings of Ukrainians.   Most interesting for me was his rhetorical question to certain clerics of the UOC.  He stated:  “And another rhetorical question.  And will we hear a principled assessment of the actions of the Russian army from the mouth of that Ukrainian clergy, who so love to urge to preserve unity and continue to be in relation with the Moscow Patriarch?  I suspect that they will ‘not notice’ the actual genocide committed by the Russian army against us.”   This comment by Archbishop Sylvester is another manifestation of the major gulf that now exists between the two “camps” of the UOC.  Archbishop Sylvester continues to act as the major spokesperson of the camp which is strongly oriented toward Ukraine and not Moscow.

  Lastly, a public conference was held on January 21 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the “Angelicum”) in Rome on the subject of the 60th anniversary of the lifting of the excommunications of 1054.  https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2025/60mo-anniversario-della-revoca-delle-scomuniche-del-1054.html   The entire conference, which was conducted in English, can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO9lyK6Rq5I .  The text of the address by Cardinal Kurt Koch is found at   https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/it/cardinal-koch/2026/Conferenze/the-long-road-from-the-excommunication-to-the-restoration-of-com.html .  The text of the address by Metropolitan Job of Pisidia can be read at  https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/dialoghi/sezione-orientale/chiese-ortodosse-di-tradizione-bizantina/relazioni-bilaterali/patriarcato-ecumenico/altri-documenti-ed-eventi/intervento-del-metropolita-job-di-pisidia-nel-60mo-anniversario-.html

  Cardinal Koch reminded the attendees that the events of 1054 did not constitute a schism of the two churches.  Cardinal Koch described the events in 1054 “when Cardinal Humbert de Silva Candida and his companions placed the bull of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia against, as the text states, “Pseudo-Patriarch Michael” and Archbishop Leon of Ochrid and their auxiliaries, and when, only a few days later, Patriarch Michael Kerullarios pronounced a counter-excommunication against the author of the bull of excommunication.”  Cardinal Koch stated:  This makes it clear that the bulls of excommunication were directed solely against individual personalities and not against Churches.  Cardinal Humbert did not pronounce a formally valid excommunication of the Byzantine Church, especially since his sentence of excommunication could not have had any canonical validity anyway, as Pope Leo IX had died three months earlier.  The fact that the ban was not aimed at the Church can also be seen from the fact that in the same bull the Cardinal praised the Emperor and citizens of Constantinople as “very Christian and orthodox”.  In the eyes of Patriarch Michael, too, the scandal of 1054 did not constitute a schism.   Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras also recalled this important fact in their “Joint Declaration” of 7 December 1965, in which they specifically named the persons affected by the excommunications and added that the censures were “directed against persons and not against the Churches” and that they had not intended “to break the ecclesial communion between the Sees of Rome and of Constantinople.”  Metropolitan Job in his address also provided an analysis which reached the same conclusion that the bulls of excommunications were directed at individuals and not at the churches.

   

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

• 22 January 2026: Protesting Armenian bishops urge boycott of Bishops' Council in Austria

  There continues to be rapid developments relating to the current crisis in the Armenian Apostolic Church -- Etchmiadzin Catholicosate (“AAC”).  This crisis has been the subject of my last two newsletters which are posted at https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/.  This newsletter will cover three events occurring after January 17, 2026, the date of my last newsletter.  The three events are as follows:

  Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be held from February 16 to 19 in St. Pölten, Austria

  On January 19, the AAC announced the time and place of the planned meeting of the Bishops’ Council of the AAC.  The announcement is reported in an article at  https://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/329895.   The article states in relevant part:

  At the invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be held from February 16 to 19 in Sankt Pölten, Austria.  This was announced by Fr. Yesayi Artenyan, Director of the Information Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, according to Radar Armenia.
  “It’s important to note that, except for the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, any governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church may hold its meetings in any location.  There have been precedents of both Bishops’ Council and Supreme Spiritual Council sessions convening abroad.  Accordingly, this council will be held in Sankt Pölten,” Fr. Yesayi said.
  Originally scheduled for December 10–12, the Bishops’ Council was postponed due to the current situation in Armenia, particularly the pressure and detentions targeting clergy.  “In response to requests from bishops and due to the prevailing conditions, the Catholicos decided to temporarily postpone the council,” an earlier statement noted.

  Catholic bishop will host the meeting in St. Pölten

  Kathpress, the official Catholic news agency in Austria, has reported further details concerning the arrangements for the Bishops’ Council.  https://www.kathpress.at/goto/meldung/2547134/armenische-kirche-haelt-bischofsversammlung-in-st.-poelten-ab  The details are as follows:

  St. Pölten, January 20, 2026 (KAP)    A meeting of all bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church will take place in Lower Austria in mid-February.  Under the chairmanship of Catholicos Karekin II, approximately 55 bishops from around the world will convene in St. Pölten.  The meeting will be held at the Hippolytus House of the Catholic Diocese of St. Pölten.  Host Bishop Alois Schwarz and the Armenian Church leader, Karekin II, have been friends since their student days.  The Bishop of St. Pölten also maintains good relations with the current Armenian Bishop of Vienna, Tiran Petrosyan, who is leading the organization of the bishops' meeting in the Lower Austrian capital.
  The bishops' meeting is prompted by the recent dramatic developments in Armenia itself, where the conflict between the church leadership and the current government has escalated.  Some bishops are already imprisoned, and the government is demanding the removal of the Catholicos.  At the same time, some bishops have recently come into opposition against the head of the church.  For all these reasons, a meeting at the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Etchmiadzin near Yerevan is not currently possible.  St. Pölten is serving as an alternative venue.  The highest body of the Armenian Apostolic Church will therefore discuss how to proceed in the current conflict.
  Bishop Petrosyan and Bishop Schwarz confirmed the planned multi-day meeting of bishops in response to an inquiry from the Kathpress news agency.  Further information or details cannot yet be released.

  The bishops of the “Reformation Coordinating Council” will not attend the Bishops’ Council and urge a boycott of the Council

  On January 21, news media in Armenia published a statement by the “Reformation Coordinating Council.”  This is the group of ten bishops who, together with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, signed an earlier statement on January 4 urging the reform of the AAC.  The text of the statement issue on January 21 is posted at https://www.civilnet.am/news/997978/%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%ad%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b0%d5%b8%d6%82%d6%80%d5%a4%d5%a8-%d5%af%d5%b8%d5%b9-%d5%a7-%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4-%d5%b9%d5%a5%d5%b2%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%af%d5%a5%d5%ac-%d5%a5%d5%ba%d5%ab%d5%bd%d5%af%d5%b8%d5%ba%d5%b8%d5%bd%d5%a1%d6%81-%d5%aa%d5%b8%d5%b2%d5%b8%d5%be-%d5%a3%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%a5%d5%ac%d5%b8%d6%82-%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b8%d5%b7%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4%d5%a8/ The following is a Google translation of the latter statement:

  “The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has sent an 'invitation' to the bishops to participate in the Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Church to be held in the city of Sankt Pölten, Austria, on February 16-19, 2026.  It is noted that the decision to convene the council was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council convened on January 13 of this year.  The Bishops’ Council is scheduled to examine ‘recent developments’ around the Armenian Church and ‘issues related to intra-church life.’  In response to this problematic letter, we announce:

  Today's Supreme Spiritual Council is an invalid structure, as it was elected in 2017 by the Church Representative Assembly for a four-year term, the activities of which ended in 2021.  After that, the removals and additions of members were carried out at the discretion of the person occupying the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians.  Therefore, the decisions of that Supreme Spiritual Council are not canonical.

   The residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians is the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, which is the center of the Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, recognized by both the Christian world and the Patriarchate Sees of the Armenian Church.  As the spiritual center of the Mother Church, all bishops are ordained here.  In the context of strengthening the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the reasons for not convening a Bishops’ Council in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin were not presented, and this decision is not substantiated.  No one has the right to discredit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and discredit the Armenian Statehood by moving such an important council to a foreign country.

  The Mother See has not yet responded  to the issues raised by the Coordinating Council and the clergy members who joined it –namely, the issues of the reform of the Armenian Church and the individual problematic and scandalous cases involving the de facto head of our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and some other high-ranking clergy.  No canonical process, meeting, discussion, or investigation has been undertaken regarding them.  No meeting has been convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to clarify these issues and then include them on the agenda of the Bishops’ Council, as well as to inform the invited clergy of the details in advance.

  The questions repeatedly raised by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and other officials, specialists, and believers regarding the Armenian Church have remained unanswered.  To date, there has been no response given to the serious accusations leveled against the person occupying the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians, and to the Prime Minister's offer to meet with him and discuss the issue.

  For the above reasons and without sufficient preparation, convening such a meeting is not justified and is impossible.  In such a situation, the biased decisions made by a destructive council are not canonical and cannot be acceptable.  Especially since in such a situation, none of the high-ranking clergy of the Reformation Coordinating Council will participate in the meeting scheduled in Austria.

  Therefore, on behalf of the council, WE CALL:

  a. cancel this divisive decision to convene a Bishops' Council,

  b. find realistic ways to end the destructive confrontation between the church elite and the state,

  c. to combine all forces and capabilities to bring to life the long-awaited reform of the Armenian Church,

  d. to all bishop fathers, to refuse to participate in this adventure, which violates both the centuries-old tradition of the patriarchate of Holy Etchmiadzin and the sacred covenant of unshakable unity,

  e. not to give in to moral and psychological pressures, not to submit to the provocations of the anti-national, foreign-serving, anti-state group that still operates within the elite of the Mother See, dividing the Armenian Church,

  f. to follow the canonical order established over the centuries, remaining faithful to the mission of our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the message of Jesus Christ to be children of truth and light.

  The reason for all this is the result of monopolistic and mismanagement without a clear charter, outside of canonical principles, a persistent refusal to reform, and silencing the voices of truth.  Don't look for the guilty elsewhere.

  ‘And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.’  (Mark 13:13)”

  The foregoing statement by the “Reformation Coordinating Council” is certainly disappointing for those who hoped that a meeting of the bishops, away from external pressures, might lead to a resolution of their dispute.  The refusal of the ten bishops to attend the Bishops’ Council is a strong indication that the ten do not believe that they would have sufficient support at the Council from their fellow bishops to adopt their reform agenda.  I personally believe that the dispute between the bishops will now be part of the election campaigns leading to the very important parliamentary elections in June.  The opposition political parties will champion Catholicos Karekin II and will claim that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is persecuting the AAC.  The parties supporting Pashinyan will seek to discredit Karekin and will use the arguments advanced by the ten bishops.

   

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

• 17 January 2026: Battle concerning the Armenian Church intensifies

  There continues to be important developments relating to the assertions by ten bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church - Etchmiadzin Catholicosate ("AAC") and by Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that the AAC must be reformed and that 74 -year-old Catholicos Karekin II must be retired.  These assertions were discussed in detail in my last newsletter.  See https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/  The new developments since the last newsletter are as follows:

  (1) On January 13, a meeting of the AAC’s Supreme Spiritual Council (the highest executive governing body of the AAC) was held at Etchmiadzin.  The official summary of the results of this meeting is posted at https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/supreme-spiritual-council-14-01/12114 and pasted at the end of this newsletter.  The Council strongly condemned the actions taken by the Armenian authorities against the AAC and the position taken by the ten bishops.  Most importantly, the Council decided to hold an Episcopal Assembly (a meeting of all of the 57 bishops of the AAC) sometime in February. 

  (2) Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America), one of the ten bishops, held a special meeting with his clergy on January 15 to explain his reasons for joining the reform movement.  At the meeting he presented a document entitled, “Church Reform as an Irrevocable Commandment.”  The full text of the document in Armenian is found at https://www.facebook.com/westerndiocese/posts/pfbid0uCTazzLKiEChTS4JB3ZtseQ7YYTin4sWqgJaUNnYjLvRGdos6wGaDfyZ96QK3Topl.  In this document Archbishop Hovnan lists eleven reasons for his supporting the reform movement.  An English translation of the eleven reasons is pasted at the end of this newsletter.   A number of the reasons relate to allegations about the manner of governance by the Catholicos.

  The subject of the manner of governance by the Catholicos was also discussed in detail by an opinion piece posted in 2024.   https://evnreport.com/opinion/of-reactionaries-clerics-and-protests/    A good summary of the accomplishments by Catholicos Karekin II is found at  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/biography.

  (3)   On January 10, Catholicos Karekin II removed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, one of the ten bishops, from his position as primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn.  https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-10-01-2025/12113  The following reason for the removal was given by the AAC:  “The grounds for the decree were facts of abuse of office, failure to fulfill the duties incumbent upon the Primate, as well as instances of coercion and pressure exercised against the clergy of the diocese.”

  (4)  On January 15, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan filed a civil lawsuit in the Armavir Regional Court challenging his removal.  https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=97673&utm_source.com  An attorney for the AAC has stated that diocese primates are appointed and dismissed solely by the Catholicos and are not subject to court review.   https://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/329834  A news source reported late on January 16 that the civil court has now reinstated the bishop to his primate position pending a final decision by the court.  https://www.civilnet.am/news/997142/

  (5)  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan answered questions from journalists following a government session on January 15.  https://newsarmenia.am/news/armenia/pashinyan-schitaet-chto-deyatelnost-katolikosa-vsekh-armyan-ugrozhaet-bezopasnosti-armenii-/?utm_source.com  He continued his very harsh attack against the person of Catholicos Karekin.  When a journalist asked Pashinyan for his attitude towards clergy who have effectively betrayed the Catholicos, Pashinyan responded:  “In this context, there is one traitor—Ktrich Nersisyan [secular name of the Catholicos].  He betrayed Jesus Christ, betrayed the Holy Armenian Church, its followers, and his faithful flock.  He is not the Supreme Patriarch; he is an ordinary traitor who betrayed Jesus Christ.”

  One can only hope and pray that the Episcopal Council in February will be able to bring a reasonable resolution to this very sad situation. 

  Peter Anderson, Seattle USA

   

  Press release on the session of the Supreme Spiritual Council held on January 13:

  “Under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held on 13 January at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The meeting was chaired by His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Chairman of the Monastic Council of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

  The session opened with the Lord’s Prayer, after which the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed His blessing and good wishes to the members of the Supreme Spiritual Council. The agenda included issues relating to the administrative, canonical, and disciplinary matters of the Church. A report on Church–State relations and the current situation was delivered by Mr. Gevorg Danielyan, PhD in History.

  It was emphasized that the issues concerning the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church are examined within the appropriate ecclesiastical structures according to the established canonical order, with the formulation of suitable solutions.

  It was noted that the circulated thesis of “intra-church confrontations” is artificial and intended to legitimize unlawful interference by the authorities in the internal affairs of the Church. It was also recorded that the anti-Church campaign initiated by the authorities at the end of May 2025 has assumed a systematic character, accompanied by unconstitutional actions, criminal prosecutions, and repressive measures against the clergy.

  The Supreme Spiritual Council expressed its gratitude to the faithful people who have shown support for the Armenian Church, as well as to organizations and individuals who, within the framework of the law, have expressed their firm stance in defense of the Church's rights.

  Qualifying the accusations of the Church’s involvement in political activity as unfounded and unacceptable, the Supreme Spiritual Council condemned attempts by the ruling power to draw the Armenian Church into political processes through the creation of artificial agendas, which give rise to new schisms and confrontations in the life of our people.

  The Council also expressed concern regarding the divisive stance adopted by ten bishops, as well as the defamatory statements and accusations they made in public addresses against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians.

  The participants of the session strongly condemned the bishops’ alignment with the “Program for the Reform of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church,” initiated and openly patronized by the Prime Minister, as well as the unlawful pressure and threats exerted against the clergy by diocesan leaders, carried out with the involvement of local government officials, law enforcement, and security structures.

  The Supreme Spiritual Council called upon the clergy not to yield to unlawful coercion or pressure and, remaining faithful to their calling, to be guided exclusively by the canonical order of the Armenian Church.

  After discussing ways to overcome the current situation, it was decided that the Episcopal Assembly [consisting of all bishops] and the prayerful retreat, which had been convened at the end of last year and temporarily postponed, would be organized during February.

  The session concluded with the "Guardian" prayer (Pahpanich).” 

   

  CHURCH REFORM AS AN IRREVOCABLE COMMANDMENT by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (January 15, 2026)

  CHURCH REFORM AS AN IRREVOCABLE COMMANDMENT

  “Zeal for the house of the Lord has consumed me” (Psalm 68:10).

  A number of noble and pious believers are expressing their just concern regarding the scandalous events that are disrupting the internal life of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

  First, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that we have repeatedly appealed to our pious people (footnote i), keeping the issues within the general spiritual-moral framework.  However, without ignoring the questions of our beloved people, we would like to clarify why we have joined the reform agenda, and why now.

  Reformation or reform has been an internal church agenda since the 5th century.  Various church councils have been convened and decisions have been made regarding order and canons, good conduct, church governance, pastoral ministry, spiritual education, and the true mission of the church (footnote ii).

  The reform program, which has its historical precedent, gained new momentum last year, in the face of unprecedented injustices and serious moral decline.

  We joined this movement because:

  1. His Holiness, ignoring the opinion of the committee he himself created and the conclusions of the expert examinations, covered up an indecent incident involving Archbishop Arshak.

  2. We were sadly informed of how His Holiness had forced the brother of the martyred hero of the 44-day war, the late Aghan Abegha, to participate with his grieving mother in a political opposition demonstration against the authorities.

  3. His Holiness the Patriarch did not respond in any way to the public accusation that he had broken his vow of celibacy and had a child.

  4. His Holiness remained silent when the National Security Service published evidence that his brother, Archbishop Ezras [primate for the AAC in Russia], was a foreign agent.

  5. The Mother See, in the person of His Holiness the Patriarch, continues its non-transparent and unaccountable style of working, without any reports from the outset, whether regarding the renovation of the Mother Cathedral, assistance to the Armenians of Artsakh, assistance to needy clergy, or other educational and charitable programs.

  6. As the chair of the statutory reform committee established by the Mother See, we worked for years with diocesan leaders and bishops and coordinated the development of the statutes. Those statutory drafts remained on paper, as the National-Ecclesiastical Assembly was not convened to ratify them.

  7. In the absence of a constitution, His Holiness the Patriarch preferred a one-man style of church governance, making arbitrary decisions and creating formal committees subordinate to himself. Furthermore, His Holiness the Patriarch is violating the apostolic right of a bishop to ordain a priest in his position, which is a serious theological-ecclesiastical issue.

  8. His Holiness the Patriarch has politicized the church, opposing the peace agenda adopted by the state.

  9. As many claim, by order of His Holiness the Holy See is waging a media campaign against its critics, discrediting authorities.

  10. The short-sighted activities of recent years have not only weakened the Mother See of our Holiness, but have also discredited the Armenian Apostolic Church.  It has distanced itself from the people, handing them over to the clutches of sects.

  11. Ultimately, the anti-state stance and confrontation of the Mother See and His Holiness personally is unacceptable to us.

  These are the main reasons that have motivated us to join the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church's reform program, as faithful and devout children of the Mother See, for the love of Etchmiadzin and for the building of our native statehood.

  Many are being targeted and accused by various political centers for their efforts to reform the Armenian Apostolic Church.  On the scene are “radicals” who have suddenly become Christians and are calling themselves “believers,” whose extremism is not the result of love and loyalty, but rather the product of their hateful opposition spirit.

  For lovers of conspiracy theories and especially for those who give a political spin to this movement for church reform, we must once again remind you that this is not the idea of political authorities. God says through the prophet: “Amend your ways and make your deeds good, and I will dwell with you.  Do not trust in lying words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord’” (Jeremiah 7:3–4).

• 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