The Armenian Apostolic Church Reform Council calls for the cancellation of the decision to convene a Bishops’ Assembly abroad

The Church Reform Council is calling for the cancellation of the decision to convene a
Bishops’ Assembly abroad.

In the statement issued by the Council, it notes in particular :
that bishops have been sent an “invitation” from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to
participate in the Armenian Church’s Bishops’ Assembly scheduled for February 16-19,
2026, in the city of St. Pölten, Austria. It is stated that the decision to convene the
assembly was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council at its meeting on January 13 of this
year. The Bishops’ Assembly is expected to discuss the “latest developments” concerning
the Armenian Church and “issues related to internal church life.”

In response to this problematic letter, the Council states the following:
The current Supreme Spiritual Council is invalid structure, as it was elected by the 2017
Church Representative Assembly for a four-year term, which ended in 2021. After that,
resignations and new appointments of members were carried out at the discretion of the
individual occupying the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Therefore, the
decisions of this 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 Armenian Church’s hierarchy and is recognized both by the
Christian world and by the hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Church. As the spiritual
center of the Mother Church, all bishops were ordained there. Under the conditions of the
Republic of Armenia, which is strengthening its independence, no reasons have been
presented for not convening a Bishops’ council at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
and the decision is not justified. No one has the right, by moving such an important
assembly to a foreign country, to undermine the authority of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and discredit Armenian statehood.

The Mother See has provided no response to date to the issues raised by the Coordinating
Council and the clergy who have joined it regarding church reform, as well as to a number
of problematic and high-profile incidents involving the de facto head of the Armenian
Apostolic Church and certain other senior clergymen. No canonical process, assembly,
discussion, review, or investigation has been initiated. No meeting has been convened at
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to clarify these issues and then include them on the
agenda of a Bishops’ Assembly, or to inform the invited bishops of the details in advance.
Questions repeatedly raised about the Armenian Church by the Prime Minister of the
Republic of Armenia and other officials, experts, and believers have remained
unanswered. In particular, there has been no response to serious allegations directed at
the individual who has held the throne of the Catholicos of All Armenians, nor to the Prime
Minister’s proposal to meet and discuss the issue.

For the above reasons, and without sufficient preparation, convening such an assembly is
unjustified and unacceptable. The Council states that any prejudged decisions adopted by
a “destructive assembly” convened under such circumstances are not canonical and
cannot be acceptable. Moreover, none of the senior clergy from the Reform Coordinating
Council will participate in the assembly planned in Austria.

Therefore, the Council CALLS FOR:
a) canceling this divisive decision to convene the Bishops’ Assembly abroad;
b) finding realistic ways to end the destructive confrontation between the church elite and
the state;
c) uniting all forces and capacities to implement the long-awaited reform of the Armenian
Church;
d) all bishops to refuse to take part in this “adventure,” which violates both the centuries-
old hierarchical tradition of Holy Etchmiadzin and the sacred vow of unbreakable unity;
e) not yielding to moral and psychological pressure, and not submitting to provocations by
an anti-national, foreign-serving, church-splitting and anti-state faction that, according to
the Council, still operates within the upper leadership of the Mother See;
f) following the canonical order established over centuries, remaining faithful to the mission
of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and to Jesus Christ’s commandment to be sons of
truth and light.

The reason for all this is the result of one-man and improper governance without a clear
statute, governance outside canonical principles, persistent refusal of reforms, and
silencing the voices of truth. Do not look for the guilty elsewhere.

“And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end will
be saved.” (Mark 13:13)