Any structure outside the church and competent church bodies, even endowed with state and political power, cannot "improve" church life. Mother See

The Supreme Spiritual Council made a statement on May 19 in the Holy Etchmiadzin Mother See, H.E. The meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held under the chairmanship of the Second Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin. The agenda of the meeting included the convening of the Church-Representative Assembly, the external and internal challenges facing the country, the anti-church campaign, the ongoing legal proceedings against the illegally imprisoned clergymen and other Armenians, the guidelines for the preparation of Sunday school textbooks, the RA Armed Forces and the penitentiary. issues related to the suspension of religious services in institutions at the initiative of the authorities. Within the framework of agenda items, the Supreme Council of Spirituality also referred to the interim statement published by the PACE pre-election delegation on May 13, the worrisome situation in the country ahead of the RA parliamentary elections and the reprehensible phenomena recorded during the pre-election period, in relation to which it made a statement: "The Supreme Spiritual Council is deeply concerned about the unacceptable propaganda measures, including repression, excessive force during the campaign on the eve of the upcoming RA parliamentary elections in relation to application. The speech of hostility and hatred that is taking place, the indecent and obscene vocabulary only divides and further polarizes our society, causing rebellion, disappointment and new tension among the people, and also creating serious threats to the Armenian statehood. the experiments. In this light, the assessment of the "unprecedented involvement in politics" of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in the interim statement of the PACE pre-election delegation on May 13 is very puzzling. to Resolution No. 2633 (2026) of January 25. Instead, the Mother See of St. Etchmiadzin expects clear assessments from the PACE regarding the campaign unleashed by the authorities against the Armenian Church in Armenia, the prohibitions and restrictions that are continuously imposed by the open use of state levers contrary to the country's legislative regulations and international law, which cause direct obstacles in the Church's soulful mission. Such illegal actions, such as influencing clerics with coercive measures and threats, initiating illegal criminal proceedings against a number of clergymen, encouraging clergymen who deviate from church regulations, signing illegal employment contracts with individual priests, and assigning disobedient ones to state-sponsored clerical service, which directly violate the fundamental freedoms and rights of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, as well as the fundamental rights of people, are addressed. the illegal actions of the ruling political power to interfere in the self-governance of the Armenian Church around the world and especially the ambitions recorded in the pre-election program of the "Civil Agreement" party about the "reformation" of the Church through the dethronement of the nationally elected Patriarch of the Church await a fair response from the relevant structures and human rights organizations. a step that is also anti-canonical and illegal. The Supreme Spiritual Council considers it necessary to record again that any structure outside the Church and competent church bodies, even endowed with state and political power, cannot carry out "reformation" of church life. The vote of confidence granted by the people as a result of the elections can only be used to strengthen state sovereignty, ensure the integrity of the country's borders, strengthen national identity and restore public solidarity. The Armenian state, with its nation-building mission, has always been a strong bulwark of our identity, an anchor of our permanence. Armenian independent statehood should be cherished with prudence, dedication and zeal and never be endangered by adventures. May the Heavenly Lord always keep the Armenian country in peace and security under His blessing and guide the entire Armenian people with His light commands in only God-pleasing, patriotic and nationally beneficial ways."