ARF Bureau condemns legal proceedings against Catholicos Karekin II
Dear compatriots,
We are confronting one of the most disgraceful and unprecedented moments in the history of the Armenian people. The government’s deliberate targeting and persecution of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has crossed every red line. As part of an unlawfully initiated criminal proceeding, judicial action has been launched against His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as several senior clergymen.
For centuries, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has been, and remains, the unshakable spiritual, national and cultural pillar of the Armenian people. It has guided our nation through its darkest trials, preserving our Holy Faith, national identity, language and centuries-old values.
The actions taken by the authorities of the Republic of Armenia against the church’s authority and spiritual mission are both unconstitutional and anti-national. They fundamentally undermine the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state, violate the right to freedom of conscience and the spiritual dignity of thousands of believers, deepen societal divisions, weaken the foundations of our national identity and expose the state and society to further turmoil.
As faithful followers of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, we condemn the unlawful actions adopted by the authorities and reaffirm, with unwavering conviction, our full support for the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians.
We call upon the judicial and law enforcement authorities to remain faithful to the constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia and not yield to political pressure or manipulation. Matters concerning diocesan administration, canon law and the church’s internal procedures fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the church, and any state interference is unacceptable.
We call upon our compatriots, guided by national consciousness and the principles of solidarity, to preserve our national unity and to rally around the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, its spiritual mission, and His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians.
