Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA
The tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church – Etchmiadzin Catholicosate (“AAC”), headed by Catholicos Karekin II, and the Armenian government, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have continued to increase with each side taking stronger actions. Most recently, the increased tensions have related to the status of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, one of the ten bishops of AAC who, together with the Prime Minister, signed on January 4 a document which urged the retirement of Catholicos Karekin II and which created a Coordinating Council to reform the AAC. https://www.panorama.am/am/news/2026/01/05/%D5%93%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6/3148925. The confrontations relating to Saroyan began on January 10, when Catholicos Karekin II by a patriarchal decree removed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan from his position as primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn (Masis). https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-10-01-2025/12113 The following reason for the removal was given by the AAC: “The grounds for the decree were facts of abuse of office, failure to fulfill the duties incumbent upon the Primate, as well as instances of coercion and pressure exercised against the clergy of the diocese.”
On January 15, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan reacted by filing a civil lawsuit challenging his removal. The lawsuit was accepted by Edgar Hovhannisyan, judge of the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of the Armavir Region. https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2026/01/16/bishop-lawsuot/3149799 Apparently in order to preserve the status quo pending the final decision on the case, the judge issued on January 16 an order which stated: “To oblige the respondent religious organization [AAC] and other persons to ensure without hindrance the tenure of Arman Volodya Saroyan (Bishop Gevorg Saroyan) as the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese until the final judicial act is issued in the case. To prohibit the implementation of any action that may in any way hinder Arman Volodya Saroyan (Bishop Gevorg Saroyan), as the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, from exercising his powers and obligations.” https://www.azatutyun.am/a/gevorg-episkoposin-kargalouyts-hrchakelou-pastov-kreakan-varouyt-e-nakhadzernvel-kk/33663846.html
Apparently in response to the lawsuit, Catholicos Karekin II issued a patriarchal decree on January 27 defrocking Saroyan. https://www.armenianchurch.org/hy/news/kargaluyts-27-01-2025/12122 The following is a Google translation of the official description of the decree: “On January 27 of this year, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in advance of the decision of the Supreme Spiritual Council of January 27, 2026, by patriarchal decree, declared Bishop Gevorg Saroyan deposed. The reason for the dismissal was that he challenged the Patriarchal decree on his dismissal from the position of Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese and his return to Mayravank, hindering the normal activities of the Masyatsotn Diocese and creating an opportunity and condition for government structures to interfere in church life through his lawsuit. Bishop Gevorg Saroyan has violated the covenant of obedience through canonical deviations and irregular actions. The deposed clergyman will henceforth be classified among the laity, under the name of the Arman Saroyan.”
Also on January 27, the AAC’s Supreme Spiritual Council recommended that the Catholicos defrock Saroyan. https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-27-01-2025/12121 https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/e-27-01-2025/12121 In this regard, the announcement from the Council provided: “The Council also examined the matter of a canonical offense committed by the former Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan. It was noted that by challenging the Patriarchal directive, which released him from his position as diocesan head and ordered his return to the Mother Monastery, he effectively violated his vow of obedience. He subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, seeking reinstatement to his diocesan office. The Supreme Spiritual Council strongly condemned the slanderous accusations made by Bishop Gevorg in his public speeches and statements against the Mother See, his fellow clergy, and the Catholicos of All Armenians, regarding such behavior as a gross violation of church order, canonical obedience, and ecclesiastical unity. The Council recommended that the Catholicos of All Armenians defrock Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.”
The next step in the progressive escalation was taken by the Armenian government. On January 31, the six AAC bishops who participated in the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council on January 27 received summons to appear before the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. According to the news release of the Investigative Committee, criminal proceedings were initiated on January 29 on the grounds that the defrocking of Saroyan failed to comply with the judge’s order issued in the lawsuit filed by Saroyan. https://www.investigative.am/en/news/36902# On January 31, the AAC issued a statement protesting the action taken by the Investigative Committee. https://www.armenianchurch.org/en/news/statement01-02-26/12125 The statement by the AAC provides in part as follows: On January 31, summonses were sent to members of the Supreme Spiritual Council who are clergy, requiring them to appear before the Investigative Committee as defendants. This constitutes yet another clear indication of the campaign launched against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and of the repressive actions being carried out against the clergy. Within the framework of the criminal prosecution, the departure from the country of members of the Supreme Spiritual Council holding episcopal rank has been blocked. This condemnable process represents a gross violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the laws of the Republic of Armenia and in international treaties, aimed at undermining the normal activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church, particularly the work of the upcoming Episcopal Assembly to be held in Austria.
The absence in Austria of the six bishops, who are now prohibited from leaving Armenia during the pendency of the government’s investigation, may not be enough to preclude the holding of the Bishops’ Council (Episcopal Assembly) in St. Pölten, Austria (scheduled for February 16 to 19). However, if the six bishops who recommended defrocking Saroyan violated the judge’s order, it would follow logically that Catholicos Karekin II, who issued the actual decree defrocking Saroyan, would have violated the order to an even greater degree. Thus, the Investigative Committee could now prevent the holding of the Council in Austria by adding the Catholicos as one of the defendants and by prohibiting him from leaving Armenia. If this were done, it would greatly increase tensions. Of course, these recent developments do not prohibit the holding of the Bishops’ Council in Armenia as opposed to Austria.
Although the six bishops will not be at a Council held in Austria, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese of North America, one of the ten bishops of “Coordinating Council,” has now stated that he will attend the Bishops’ Council in Austria. https://wdacna.com/news/3127/Diocesan-Primate-Archbishop-Hovnan-Derderian%C2%A0will-participate-in-the-Bishops%E2%80%99-Synod (Jan. 23, 2026) This statement by Derderian conflicts with an earlier statement by the “Coordinating Council” which stated that its members will not participate in the Bishops’ Council in Austria and which had urged other bishops to boycott the Austrian Council. There is a media report that Derderian has now decided to attend as a result of pressure exerted on him from within his own diocese.
In Ukraine, the Commercial Court of the Chernivtsi Region has issued an order that the UOC vacate the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi and transfer it to the OCU. https://spzh.eu/en/news/90576-court-rules-to-transfer-holy-spirit-cathedral-of-uoc-in-chernivtsi-to-ocu The full text of the court’s decision can be read though a link in the foregoing article. Last June, this cathedral was seized for several hours, and two UOC priests were beaten. This violent seizure was videoed and received considerable international attention. It was covered in detail by my newsletter of 24 June 2025. See https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/
Archbishop Sylvester Stoychev, rector of the UOC’s Kyiv Theological Academy, has commented on his Facebook page about a Russian drone attack which last week greatly damaged the Odessa Holy Assumption Men’s Monastery where he had spent several years. https://www.facebook.com/sil.vestr.stojcev/ He remarks: “Sadly, we regularly see reports in the news of destruction or damage to sacred sites, cultural landmarks, historic buildings, etc. Russian political and military leadership, talking about ‘traditional values’ and ‘fighting against the ungodly Western civilization,’ is actually waging an openly genocidal war, barbarically destroying Ukrainian cities and villages. The first month of 2026 has shown us new horrific proofs of the genocidal nature of this war. By massed rocket strikes Russian troops are trying to destroy completely the Ukrainian energy system. During the heavy frost, our cities are plunged into cold and darkness. Apartments of thousands and thousands of people are becoming unlivable.”
Archbishop Sylvester in very strong words faults the Moscow Patriarchate and its patriarch for supporting the war and for not caring about the sufferings of Ukrainians. Most interesting for me was his rhetorical question to certain clerics of the UOC. He stated: “And another rhetorical question. And will we hear a principled assessment of the actions of the Russian army from the mouth of that Ukrainian clergy, who so love to urge to preserve unity and continue to be in relation with the Moscow Patriarch? I suspect that they will ‘not notice’ the actual genocide committed by the Russian army against us.” This comment by Archbishop Sylvester is another manifestation of the major gulf that now exists between the two “camps” of the UOC. Archbishop Sylvester continues to act as the major spokesperson of the camp which is strongly oriented toward Ukraine and not Moscow.
Lastly, a public conference was held on January 21 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the “Angelicum”) in Rome on the subject of the 60th anniversary of the lifting of the excommunications of 1054. https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2025/60mo-anniversario-della-revoca-delle-scomuniche-del-1054.html The entire conference, which was conducted in English, can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO9lyK6Rq5I . The text of the address by Cardinal Kurt Koch is found at https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/it/cardinal-koch/2026/Conferenze/the-long-road-from-the-excommunication-to-the-restoration-of-com.html . The text of the address by Metropolitan Job of Pisidia can be read at https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/dialoghi/sezione-orientale/chiese-ortodosse-di-tradizione-bizantina/relazioni-bilaterali/patriarcato-ecumenico/altri-documenti-ed-eventi/intervento-del-metropolita-job-di-pisidia-nel-60mo-anniversario-.html
Cardinal Koch reminded the attendees that the events of 1054 did not constitute a schism of the two churches. Cardinal Koch described the events in 1054 “when Cardinal Humbert de Silva Candida and his companions placed the bull of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia against, as the text states, “Pseudo-Patriarch Michael” and Archbishop Leon of Ochrid and their auxiliaries, and when, only a few days later, Patriarch Michael Kerullarios pronounced a counter-excommunication against the author of the bull of excommunication.” Cardinal Koch stated: This makes it clear that the bulls of excommunication were directed solely against individual personalities and not against Churches. Cardinal Humbert did not pronounce a formally valid excommunication of the Byzantine Church, especially since his sentence of excommunication could not have had any canonical validity anyway, as Pope Leo IX had died three months earlier. The fact that the ban was not aimed at the Church can also be seen from the fact that in the same bull the Cardinal praised the Emperor and citizens of Constantinople as “very Christian and orthodox”. In the eyes of Patriarch Michael, too, the scandal of 1054 did not constitute a schism. Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras also recalled this important fact in their “Joint Declaration” of 7 December 1965, in which they specifically named the persons affected by the excommunications and added that the censures were “directed against persons and not against the Churches” and that they had not intended “to break the ecclesial communion between the Sees of Rome and of Constantinople.” Metropolitan Job in his address also provided an analysis which reached the same conclusion that the bulls of excommunications were directed at individuals and not at the churches.
Peter Anderson, Seattle USA
Related Stories
Protesting Armenian bishops urge boycott of Bishops’ Council in Austria
There continues to be rapid developments relating to the current crisis in the Armenian Apostolic Church — Etchmiadzin Catholicosate (“AAC”). This crisis has been the subject of my last two newsletters which are posted at https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/. This newsletter will cover three events occurring after January 17, 2026, the date of my last newsletter. The three events are as follows:
Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be held from February 16 to 19 in St. Pölten, Austria
On January 19, the AAC announced the time and place of the planned meeting of the Bishops’ Council of the AAC. The announcement is reported in an article at https://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/329895. The article states in relevant part:
At the invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, the Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be held from February 16 to 19 in Sankt Pölten, Austria. This was announced by Fr. Yesayi Artenyan, Director of the Information Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, according to Radar Armenia.
“It’s important to note that, except for the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, any governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church may hold its meetings in any location. There have been precedents of both Bishops’ Council and Supreme Spiritual Council sessions convening abroad. Accordingly, this council will be held in Sankt Pölten,” Fr. Yesayi said.
Originally scheduled for December 10–12, the Bishops’ Council was postponed due to the current situation in Armenia, particularly the pressure and detentions targeting clergy. “In response to requests from bishops and due to the prevailing conditions, the Catholicos decided to temporarily postpone the council,” an earlier statement noted.
Catholic bishop will host the meeting in St. Pölten
Kathpress, the official Catholic news agency in Austria, has reported further details concerning the arrangements for the Bishops’ Council. https://www.kathpress.at/goto/meldung/2547134/armenische-kirche-haelt-bischofsversammlung-in-st.-poelten-ab The details are as follows:
St. Pölten, January 20, 2026 (KAP) A meeting of all bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church will take place in Lower Austria in mid-February. Under the chairmanship of Catholicos Karekin II, approximately 55 bishops from around the world will convene in St. Pölten. The meeting will be held at the Hippolytus House of the Catholic Diocese of St. Pölten. Host Bishop Alois Schwarz and the Armenian Church leader, Karekin II, have been friends since their student days. The Bishop of St. Pölten also maintains good relations with the current Armenian Bishop of Vienna, Tiran Petrosyan, who is leading the organization of the bishops’ meeting in the Lower Austrian capital.
The bishops’ meeting is prompted by the recent dramatic developments in Armenia itself, where the conflict between the church leadership and the current government has escalated. Some bishops are already imprisoned, and the government is demanding the removal of the Catholicos. At the same time, some bishops have recently come into opposition against the head of the church. For all these reasons, a meeting at the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Etchmiadzin near Yerevan is not currently possible. St. Pölten is serving as an alternative venue. The highest body of the Armenian Apostolic Church will therefore discuss how to proceed in the current conflict.
Bishop Petrosyan and Bishop Schwarz confirmed the planned multi-day meeting of bishops in response to an inquiry from the Kathpress news agency. Further information or details cannot yet be released.
The bishops of the “Reformation Coordinating Council” will not attend the Bishops’ Council and urge a boycott of the Council
On January 21, news media in Armenia published a statement by the “Reformation Coordinating Council.” This is the group of ten bishops who, together with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, signed an earlier statement on January 4 urging the reform of the AAC. The text of the statement issue on January 21 is posted at https://www.civilnet.am/news/997978/%d5%a2%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%a5%d5%b6%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b8%d5%a3%d5%b4%d5%a1%d5%b6-%d5%ad%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b0%d5%b8%d6%82%d6%80%d5%a4%d5%a8-%d5%af%d5%b8%d5%b9-%d5%a7-%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4-%d5%b9%d5%a5%d5%b2%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%af%d5%a5%d5%ac-%d5%a5%d5%ba%d5%ab%d5%bd%d5%af%d5%b8%d5%ba%d5%b8%d5%bd%d5%a1%d6%81-%d5%aa%d5%b8%d5%b2%d5%b8%d5%be-%d5%a3%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%a5%d5%ac%d5%b8%d6%82-%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b8%d5%b7%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4%d5%a8/ The following is a Google translation of the latter statement:
“The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has sent an ‘invitation’ to the bishops to participate in the Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Church to be held in the city of Sankt Pölten, Austria, on February 16-19, 2026. It is noted that the decision to convene the council was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council convened on January 13 of this year. The Bishops’ Council is scheduled to examine ‘recent developments’ around the Armenian Church and ‘issues related to intra-church life.’ In response to this problematic letter, we announce:
Today’s Supreme Spiritual Council is an invalid structure, as it was elected in 2017 by the Church Representative Assembly for a four-year term, the activities of which ended in 2021. After that, the removals and additions of members were carried out at the discretion of the person occupying the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Therefore, the decisions of that Supreme Spiritual Council are not canonical.
The residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians is the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, which is the center of the Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, recognized by both the Christian world and the Patriarchate Sees of the Armenian Church. As the spiritual center of the Mother Church, all bishops are ordained here. In the context of strengthening the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the reasons for not convening a Bishops’ Council in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin were not presented, and this decision is not substantiated. No one has the right to discredit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and discredit the Armenian Statehood by moving such an important council to a foreign country.
The Mother See has not yet responded to the issues raised by the Coordinating Council and the clergy members who joined it –namely, the issues of the reform of the Armenian Church and the individual problematic and scandalous cases involving the de facto head of our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and some other high-ranking clergy. No canonical process, meeting, discussion, or investigation has been undertaken regarding them. No meeting has been convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to clarify these issues and then include them on the agenda of the Bishops’ Council, as well as to inform the invited clergy of the details in advance.
The questions repeatedly raised by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and other officials, specialists, and believers regarding the Armenian Church have remained unanswered. To date, there has been no response given to the serious accusations leveled against the person occupying the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians, and to the Prime Minister’s offer to meet with him and discuss the issue.
For the above reasons and without sufficient preparation, convening such a meeting is not justified and is impossible. In such a situation, the biased decisions made by a destructive council are not canonical and cannot be acceptable. Especially since in such a situation, none of the high-ranking clergy of the Reformation Coordinating Council will participate in the meeting scheduled in Austria.
Therefore, on behalf of the council, WE CALL:
- cancel this divisive decision to convene a Bishops’ Council,
- find realistic ways to end the destructive confrontation between the church elite and the state,
- to combine all forces and capabilities to bring to life the long-awaited reform of the Armenian Church,
- to all bishop fathers, to refuse to participate in this adventure, which violates both the centuries-old tradition of the patriarchate of Holy Etchmiadzin and the sacred covenant of unshakable unity,
- not to give in to moral and psychological pressures, not to submit to the provocations of the anti-national, foreign-serving, anti-state group that still operates within the elite of the Mother See, dividing the Armenian Church,
- to follow the canonical order established over the centuries, remaining faithful to the mission of our Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the message of Jesus Christ to be children of truth and light.
The reason for all this is the result of monopolistic and mismanagement without a clear charter, outside of canonical principles, a persistent refusal to reform, and silencing the voices of truth. Don’t look for the guilty elsewhere.
‘And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.’ (Mark 13:13)”
The foregoing statement by the “Reformation Coordinating Council” is certainly disappointing for those who hoped that a meeting of the bishops, away from external pressures, might lead to a resolution of their dispute. The refusal of the ten bishops to attend the Bishops’ Council is a strong indication that the ten do not believe that they would have sufficient support at the Council from their fellow bishops to adopt their reform agenda. I personally believe that the dispute between the bishops will now be part of the election campaigns leading to the very important parliamentary elections in June. The opposition political parties will champion Catholicos Karekin II and will claim that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is persecuting the AAC. The parties supporting Pashinyan will seek to discredit Karekin and will use the arguments advanced by the ten bishops.
Peter Anderson, Seattle USA