Statement of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
28.11.2025
On November 28, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a meeting of the Armenia-resident members of the Supreme Spiritual Council was scheduled. However, holding a duly constituted session proved impossible due to the absence of Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan, Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, and Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.
Nevertheless, the attending council members addressed the statement published on November 27, signed by nine bishops. It was noted that this document entirely misrepresents the commission established at the request of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan.
In essence, the commission did not hold any sessions and provide His Eminence Arshak Khachatryan with an opportunity for a personal meeting. Moreover, the commission’s report presented to the Catholicos of All Armenians was prepared without adherence to proper procedures.
It was also emphasised that the commission did not submit an official request to the Investigative Committee for examination of the video attributed to the archbishop. The conclusion obtained by an individual member of the commission was procured in clear violation of the law, is neither complete nor exhaustive, and therefore cannot serve as a reliable basis, and could not have been considered acceptable by the Supreme Patriarch.
It was further reported that on November 24, the commission’s chairman, Archbishop Khajag Parsamyan, taking into account the existing difficulties in the commission’s work, sent a letter to His Holiness proposing the formation of a new three-member commission to ensure a fair and impartial consideration of the matter. This new commission could also review the temporary suspension of His Eminence’s service until the commission’s work is completed.
The existing members of the commission were informed of the proposal for the new commission on November 25 and gave their consent.
Thus, it is evident that the accusations made in the statement against the Catholicos of All Armenians are entirely unfounded and fabricated, and that the targeted harassment and formation of prejudiced opinions against His Eminence, the archbishop, are wholly unacceptable.
The council members, condemning this position and noting its inadmissibility, emphasised the necessity for the clergy to return to the canonical framework and to express their concerns solely within the Church’s highest governing bodies, without undermining the unity of the Church.
