In Response to Media Inquiries
11.12.2025
Recently, certain media outlets and individuals have deliberately spread an unfounded claim that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has no constitution. For centuries, the Armenian Church has been guided by the canons adopted by Ecclesiastical Councils and by Patriarchal encyclicals (kondaks).
During the patriarchal tenure of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazgen I, the Armenian Church began work on drafting the Constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. This work continued during the reign of Catholicos Karekin I and, with even greater intensity, during the service of the currently reigning Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.
The Church-Representative Councils at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 2009 and 2014 approved the statutes of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, the Church-Representative Council, and the Supreme Spiritual Council, as well as the key provisions of diocesan and parish statutes. These approved and ready-to-implement statutes, except for the statute of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, are in force within our Church; their final ratification must also be carried out by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly.
Consequently, the claim that the Armenian Church “does not have a constitution” is groundless and bears no relation to truth or reality. Moreover, the commissions established by the directive of His Holiness continue their work to finalize the Constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the adoption of which will constitute a truly important and landmark event in the life of our Church.
At the same time, it is with deep regret that we must note that the work of the commissions drafting the statutes has been disrupted, as their chairpersons are currently unlawfully deprived of liberty.
It should be emphasized that the initiative to convene the National Ecclesiastical Assembly every seven years belongs to the Catholicos of All Armenians. The purpose of the Assembly is to discuss the issues and challenges facing the Armenian Church, to provide solutions to existing problems, and to outline the priorities of its activities.
Unfortunately, the convening of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly was postponed due to the pandemic and the war in Artsakh. We hope that the Assembly will take place in the near future at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, addressing the issues raised and providing appropriate solutions.
