Activists called on the Catholicos to replace the head of the Karabakh diocese

More than 30 public figures from Nagorno-Karabakh called on Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II to consider replacing the head of the Artsakh (Karabakh) Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, head of the Artsakh (Karabakh) Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, attended a meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan in late November, where a group of clergy demanded the re-election of the Catholicos. Karabakh refugees criticized Abrahamyan and called on him to resign. Abrahamyan  wrote On the diocese's page, he stated that he was aware of the negative assessment of the meeting by his compatriots, and especially by Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, but he refused to meet with journalists and activists. 

An open letter to the Catholicos was distributed in Armenian media on December 15. The initiator of the appeal was Karabakh lawyer Roman Yeritsyan, who published the text on his Facebook page*. As of 1:50 AM Moscow time, the post had been liked by over 840 users. 

The open letter states that "representatives of civil society in Artsakh (the self-designation of Nagorno-Karabakh) expressed deep disappointment and outrage at the actions of the current head of the Artsakh Diocese." They believe that "the bishop, in violation of Church laws, has effectively rebelled against the Catholicos of All Armenians, who has always paid attention to the problems of Artsakh and the protection of the rights of its people in the international arena."

"Abrahamyan is committing actions that contradict his spiritual calling: he effectively supports decisions aimed at handing over Artsakh's holy sites and cultural treasures to the enemy, showing disrespect for believers and ignoring the appeals and wishes of Armenians," the open letter states.

The signatories of the appeal ask the Catholicos of All Armenians to consider the issue of changing the head of the diocese, since “the current spiritual leader has lost the trust of the people and does not have the moral right to continue to lead the Artsakh Diocese.” 

The appeal was signed by seven human rights activists, including four ombudsmen of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as public figures and representatives of 23 Karabakh public organizations. 

Marianna Grigoryan, a nurse and refugee from the Martuni region of Nagorno-Karabakh, welcomed the initiative and supported the letter's authors. 

"Ordinary Karabakh residents are facing numerous social and political problems due to the Armenian government, and yet our bishop is willing to help. Why isn't he there for his parishioners? And why isn't he meeting with activists to explain things? Because he's indifferent to our troubles. A good letter," the mother of two told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. 

Arno Beglaryan from Stepanakert also supported the letter. He noted that "when the Nagorno-Karabakh blockade was underway, all the clergy of the Artsakh Diocese were with the people, but the bishop was not."

"The bishop used the blockade as an excuse, holed up in Yerevan, but he could have pushed for his arrival. Russian peacekeepers or the Red Cross could have done that. His presence with us would have been a great support, but he wasn't there. How can I support him if he abandoned his parishioners? He has no authority over me personally," the man said.

Beglaryan added that he has three minor children and struggles to support his family in rented accommodation while running a private passenger transportation business. He receives help from friends and a number of organizations he occasionally turns to, but he never considered turning to Bishop Abrahamyan because "I've never heard of him helping anyone."

Armen Gevorgyan from Nagorno-Karabakh, now a resident of Armenia's Ararat region, called the appeal fair, noting that "most Artsakh residents don't know Abrahamyan by sight."

"He's unremarkable as the head of the diocese. There are clergy we know well, we listen to, and we try to get their blessing, but Abramyan hasn't become the leader I'd like him to be," the man remarked.

Refugee Narine Gabrielyan, in turn, believes that "there are many other problems facing refugees that need to be addressed." "So, if they replace Abrahamyan, will that solve our social problems? It would be better to force Abrahamyan to focus on his parishioners rather than interfere in the country's internal political games," she said.