Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to convene National Ecclesiastical Council

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is planning to convene a National Ecclesiastical Council in the near future, the highest governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. The announcement was made by former Armenian Minister of Justice and member of the Supreme Spiritual Council, Kevork Danielian.

Speaking to the media, Danielian said the council would be convened soon and stressed that it would dispel claims of internal division within the Church.

“That council will take place in the near future, and everyone will see that the supposed split that is said to exist within the Church does not exist in reality,” Danielian stated. “There are a few individuals — regrettably so — and we have strong hope that everything will return to its proper order and that they will come to their senses.”

Danielian did not specify an exact date for the council but emphasized that its convening should not be delayed, noting that there are numerous critical issues requiring discussion at the highest ecclesiastical level. He recalled that the most recent National Ecclesiastical Council was held in 2017 and that subsequent attempts to convene one were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 war, and the period of martial law in Armenia.

According to Danielian, a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council is expected to take place in the near future, during which the date for the National Ecclesiastical Council will be formally determined.

The decision to convene the council comes amid escalating tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In recent months, Pashinyan’s government has mounted an unprecedented and constitutionally illegal campaign of interference in the internal affairs of the Church, including imprisonment of clergy and open challenges to the authority of the Catholicos.

Church officials view the convening of the National Ecclesiastical Council as a necessary institutional response to the gross government crackdown on the Church and the Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as an attempt to reaffirm ecclesiastical autonomy, unity, and canonical order.

The National Ecclesiastical Council is the highest legislative authority within the Armenian Apostolic Church’s governance structure. It is a pan-national and pan-church assembly with deep historical roots, convened by the Catholicos of All Armenians to address matters of doctrine, governance, and the life of the Church as a whole.