“I know many of them, and they hold a far less positive opinion of Pashinyan than many opposition figures do”: Narek Karapetyan on ‘treasonous’ bishops

Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the Our Way popular movement, said he expects the situation surrounding the Church to be resolved strictly in accordance with canonical procedures.

Speaking with reporters at the Mother See, Karapetyan stated that through his actions Nikol Pashinyan is attempting to present to the international community that he is not fighting the Church. However, he stressed that people living in Armenia understand very well that the Prime Minister is, in fact, acting against the Church’s independence.

“He is trying to portray this as an intra-church issue,” Karapetyan said. He expressed confidence that the bishops who joined Nikol Pashinyan in the campaign against the Church and were labeled “treasonous” did so under pressure and threats.

“I know many of them, and they hold a far less positive opinion of Pashinyan than many opposition figures do,” Karapetyan noted.

According to him, Nikol Pashinyan is deliberately dividing Armenian society. Karapetyan stressed that Pashinyan will not succeed in destroying the Church.

“My only fear is that by drawing various senior clergy to their side, whether with or without compromising material, the authorities may push the Church toward division. The Church remains one of the last pillars of our national unity,” he concluded.