By Susan Badalian
YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Catholicos Karekin II condemned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to depose him and other senior clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church during a religious festival held in Echmiadzin on Sunday, June 22.
The supreme head of the church also reaffirmed support for Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, who was arrested and prosecuted last week right after decrying Pashinyan’s campaign.
“Instead of striving for unity in the face of numerous challenges confronting our nation, sad acts continue to be perpetrated to divide our society,” Karekin said in a message read out outside the church’s main cathedral. “The anti-church campaign unleashed by the authorities poses a grave threat to our national unity, undermines our country’s internal stability, and strikes directly at Armenian statehood.”
“Only days ago, we bore witness to a reprehensible act: the unlawful persecution of the national benefactor, Mr. Samvel Karapetyan — a devout Armenian who has courageously defended Holy Etchmiadzin,” he told hundreds of worshipers after presiding over a Mass.
Karapetyan accused Pashinyan of “attacking” the church and expressed readiness to “participate” in its defense as he visited Echmiadzin on June 17. Pashinyan reacted furiously to that, pledging to “deactivate” the Moscow-based tycoon. The latter was arrested and charged with calling for a violent overthrow of the Armenian government hours later. The Armenian opposition as well as the church’s Mother See in Echmiadzin strongly condemned his arrest.
