Catholicos Aram I says, “Stay away from nation-destroying attempts to divide the Church”
The following is a translation of a statement by Catholicos Aram I.
Stay away from nation-destroying attempts to divide the Church
In recent months, we have followed with deep concern the troubling developments taking place around Holy Etchmiadzin. On various occasions and through various means, we have tried to calm the turbulent situation and to encourage mutual understanding — particularly cautioning against steps leading to the division of the Church.
Today, in reality, the situation has become more dangerous, fraught with unpredictable consequences. The firm preservation of the integrity and internal unity of Holy Etchmiadzin and our Church in general, and keeping it away from internal and external dangers, is a pan-national priority. Guided by this deep awareness and commitment, we appeal:
To the authorities of Armenia: to stay away from the unconstitutional and, therefore, unacceptable and condemnable steps of interfering in the internal life and issues of Holy Etchmiadzin and sowing seeds of division within the Church through various means — steps that can lead our Church, nation and Homeland to self-destruction.
To Holy Etchmiadzin: to take up, with all possible urgency, patience and wisdom, the dangerous situations of rifts emerging and being created within the monastic life, and to unite around His Holiness the Catholicos, as well as around the monastic vow and principles, and to examine existing issues with a brotherly spirit, through canonical process and realistic approach — with the determination to produce appropriate decisions.
The Church is the house of God and, at the same time, the sacred house of the nation. Every Armenian has the obligation and right to be concerned and to express views regarding issues affecting the Church, but with a constructive and edifying approach, guided by the aspiration to renew the Church and make its servant mission more vital.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I
Dec. 8, 2025
Your Holiness Aram I,
I share your concern for the unity and vitality of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Yet, with equal reverence, I must respectfully challenge the assertion that reform and constructive engagement amount to “nation‑destroying attempts” or seeds of division.
The strength of the Church has always rested not on silence, but on its ability to renew itself in the face of challenges. To equate reform with division risks discouraging the very dialogue that can heal wounds and restore trust.
While the independence of the Church must be safeguarded, it is also a national institution with profound influence on public life. Engagement with state authorities, when conducted constitutionally and respectfully, is not interference but a safeguard against mistrust and stagnation.
Support for the Catholicos of All Armenians is vital, but loyalty must coexist with accountability. To rally blindly around leadership without addressing legitimate grievances risks alienating the faithful. True devotion demands transparency and responsiveness.
Alarmist warnings of “self‑destruction” or “nation‑destroying” inflame rather than calm. Reform does not destroy the Church; refusal to engage with legitimate concerns does. The language of fear should give way to the language of responsibility and renewal.
The preservation of Holy Etchmiadzin – the Mother Church lies not in resisting reform, but in embracing it. Constructive criticism is not division — it is the path to unity, vitality, and trust.
Well said, Hagop.
There is nothing legitimate about Traitor Nikol. His depravity is without bounds and his defenders are advancing foreign interests.