The Epiphany procession became part of Pashinyan's campaign against Etchmiadzin.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, a standoff has arisen at a church in Tallinn - supporters of the "Civil Contract" are not allowing an active priest to enter the church to conduct the Christmas liturgy, insisting on the service being conducted by a defrocked priest. The head of the party, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced his intention to lead a religious procession in Yerevan to express support for the reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Pashinyan accused Garegin II of schism

Pashinyan attended the Christmas liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator, after which he led a procession that included officials and members of the ruling party. The procession headed to the Church of the Holy Mother of God. During the procession, participants chanted "Nikol! "Prime Minister!" shouts of "King!" were heard, and the head of government was greeted with applause, Armenia Today reports.

Administrative resources were deployed to participate in the march to demonstrate public support for Pashinyan's anti-church campaign, News.Am reports.

Nikol Pashinyan, speaking on stage in Echmiadzin against the backdrop of a banner reading "Renewal of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church," stated that certain forces "are trying to turn the Armenian Church against the state." "We find ourselves in a situation where certain forces are trying to use our native, our holy place, our Apostolic Church, as a fulcrum for actions against the Republic of Armenia. And I, as the Prime Minister of Armenia, declare that we will not allow this. <...> The government has not acted, is not acting, and can never act against the Church, because the government is a follower of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church," the "Novosti Armenia" agency quotes him as saying.

We must rid the Church of schismatics and return it to the people.

According to Pashinyan, the current de facto leader of the AAC and his inner circle "act according to the logic of sectarianism, according to the logic of schism." "Therefore, we must rid the Church of schismatics and return it to the people... The Church is for the people, the Church is the place where the people communicate with Jesus Christ," he said.

The Catholicos of All Armenians spoke about the persecution of the Church

14:35 05.01.2026

Main Points on Political Arrests in Armenia

In June 2025, a series of arrests of political opponents of the current government took place in Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the opposition was preparing a coup d'état in the country.

Deviation from the path shown by Christ turns the world into an arena of injustice, suffering, and misfortune, plunging it into the darkness of error, said Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II in his message after the Christmas Liturgy.

"Our Holy Church continues to be persecuted." This situation is a serious blow to the authority of our people and state and inflicts a deep wound on communities and believers. Despite illegal and unlawful actions, our Holy Church with its pious people remains firm and unwavering, faithful to its divine calling and mission," Aysor.Am quotes Garegin II as saying.

At the Christmas liturgy in Etchmiadzin, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II offered a prayer for the arrested clergy and Armenian prisoners held in Baku prisons, Armenia Today writes.

Politicians outraged by actions against the church

National Assembly Member Tigran Abrahamyan expressed outrage at the actions of the police at a church in Talin, where security forces did not allow an active priest into the church. “An event held in the Tallinn church by a defrocked person under pressure from the authorities cannot be considered a religious service, and preventing clergy from entering the church or performing the liturgy there is a criminal offense. Accordingly, the local government group and police officers present at the Talin church are acting outside the legal framework," he wrote on his Facebook page*, noting that such an event "lacks any spiritual content."

Former Artsakh Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan stated that the people of Artsakh are awaiting a decision on the replacement of the head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, who joined the statement of 10 bishops.

"From the very beginning, I hoped that Father Vrtanes would come to repentance, but after his statements and actions, it became clear that he continues to walk a thorny path," Beglaryan noted.

He called the situation surrounding the Church unconstitutional, anti-canonical, immoral, and anti-national.

"I have expressed my position publicly, both individually and in the form of a statement. "It is unambiguous: both regarding the authorities' illegal encroachment on the Church and regarding the actions of Bishop Vrtanes," Armenia Today quotes him as saying.