Bishop speaking against Garegin II traitors - Pan-Armenian Council  for Preservation of Armenian Church

ArmInfo. The Pan-Armenian Council for the Preservation of the Armenian Church has called the steps taken by a group of archbishops and bishops who have recently  succumbed to pressure from the Armenian authorities and spoken out  against Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II a betrayal and  spiritual capitulation.

"Yes, this is a betrayal. A betrayal not only of the Church, but also  of the faithful people, who for years were under the protection of  these clergy and believed that in their hands lay not only incense,  but also conscience. These people, out of fear, resigned from their  ranks and today serve not God, but a treacherous state program that  for many years fought against all national values. And this program  is now trying to take root in the Church. Let no one try to convince  us that this is a 'reform,'" the Council said in a statement received  by ArmInfo. The Pan-Armenian Council for the Preservation of the  Armenian Church is convinced that the true goal of the authorities'  actions is to destroy the Church and turn it into a controlled,  puppet organ, as has been done with all state structures: military,  legal, judicial, cultural, and educational.

"The attack on the Church is the final and most dangerous step in the  systematic destruction of national values. This is not only an attack  on the spiritual structure, but also on the foundations of the entire  nation's identity, for the Church has been the pillar of our national  spirit and struggle for centuries. We should no longer expect any  national or positive steps from the Armenian authorities; this is  completely senseless.  Our concern now is for those clergymen who,  through their behavior, have lost what is most precious-the trust and  faith of the people, selling their souls to national traitors. The  Armenian people can forgive the weak, but they will never forgive the  betrayal of holiness," the statement continues.

The Pan-Armenian Council for the Preservation of the Armenian Church  emphasized that the clergy who went to meet with the Armenian Prime  Minister effectively renounced their spiritual values, abandoned the  Church at the very moment when he most needed their protection, and  can no longer represent either the Church, the faithful, or,  especially, God.

"And their names will be remembered as the next traitors, modern-day  Vasaksions and Melikfranguls, who seek out the weakest ship to  infiltrate and blow up its walls from within. We call on believers to  avoid contact with these clergy and not participate in the ceremonies  they conduct, as they have effectively positioned themselves as a  treacherous force destroying the Church from within.

The defense of the Church today requires a decisive stance, a public,  sincere, and direct response, not allowing any individual or group to  attempt to weaken the unity of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin and the  strength of its spiritual structure from within," the statement  reads.

Let us recall that on the morning of November 27, pro-government  platforms distributed a statement signed by 13 bishops of the  Armenian Apostolic Church, condemning the inaction of the Catholicos.

The Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, has issued a statement  regarding a scandalous video attributed to Archbishop Arshak  Khachatryan. The hierarchs' signatures in the published appeal are on  a separate sheet. The text of the statement from the bishops of the  Armenian Apostolic Church notes that on November 5, the Catholicos of  All Armenians established a commission to evaluate the video  attributed to Khachatryan. It is also claimed that the commission  appealed to the Investigative Committee of Armenia to establish the  authenticity of the recording. However, according to the bishops'  statement, the Catholicos dismissed the results of the examination,  which confirmed the authenticity of the recording, as null and void.  In this regard, the clergy stated that Karekin II's behavior  regarding this issue, which harms the Church's reputation, is  extremely concerning and called on "brother bishops to join in  releasing the blasphemous priest." It's noteworthy that, amid the  scandal, two of the 13 bishops named in the statement told reporters  they had not signed any document against the Catholicos.

At a briefing following the government meeting that afternoon,  Pashinyan welcomed the bishops' statement. Pashinyan stated his  readiness to meet with the bishops who signed the statement. On the  evening of November 27, Pashinyan's press service published video  footage of a meeting with eight of the 13 clergymen on the list.  Among the participants was the head of the Artsakh Diocese of the  Armenian Apostolic Church.