Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for preparations for a ‘great spiritual meeting’ in Vagharshapat, the seat of Armenia’s main church, as he doubles down on his demand to unseat Catholicos Karekin II. In several posts, he referenced a recent viral episode where an American CEO was caught cheating via a Kiss Cam at a Coldplay concert.
Despite being on vacation, Pashinyan has continued to post on social media, demanding the resignation of the head of the Armenian Church.
In his latest post on this issue, on Sunday, Pashinyan called on the followers of the church to pray and fast, ‘and prepare for the great spiritual meeting in the central square of Etchmiadzin [Vagharshapat]’.
‘It is undesirable, painful, but logical when, being unable to uphold the vow of marriage, married couples divorce. The same should happen in the case of the church. Ktrij Nersisyan [Karekin II] must vacate the Patriarchate’, Pashinyan said.
Previously, Pashinyan proposed creating and personally appointing a council to elect a new Catholicos.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Tensions between Pashinyan and the Armenian Church reached an all-time high after Pashinyan claimed in late May that churches had become ‘storerooms’ and that clergymen were breaking their vows of celibacy. Pashinyan additionally accused Karekin II of having a child.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Since late May, Pashinyan, his wife Anna Hakobyan, and other members of his Civil Contract party have regularly attacked the Armenian Church and the clergy, offering various accusations and using insults.
In June, two high-ranking and influential archbishops, Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikayel Ajapahyan, were placed under two-month pre-trial detentions, with charges of plotting ‘terrorist attacks and a coup d’état’ and calls for usurpation of power, respectively, along with others.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Pashinyan jumps on the viral Coldplay concert meme
As Pashinyan continued doubling down on his demands to unseat Karekin II, he referenced a viral episode at a recent concert of the rock band Coldplay, when Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and who appears to be the company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, were caught on Kiss Cam, with them quickly pulling away from a hug and hiding from the camera.
The video went viral, following which the company announced that its Board of Directors ‘initiated a formal investigation into this matter’. At the same time, the company announced its commitment to the ‘values and culture that have guided us since our founding’.
In reference to the company’s statement, in his lengthy post on 19 July, Pashinyan drew parallels between the exposed affair and the company’s response to the situation in the Armenian Church, when, after the accusations, no actions were taken to topple the Catholicos.
‘ “Astronomer” is indeed expensive and prestigious, but it is just an IT company. [...] Now let’s look at the reaction of Ktrij Nersisyan’s circle to the already well-known fact of his and a few others’ betrayal and violation of their vows’, Pashinyan wrote, adding ‘They are not even capable of being as value-based as an IT company’.
He further accused Karekin II and other unnamed high-ranking clergy of making a ‘false promise’ of celibacy for the sake of their religious positions, but failing to keep it.
‘Tolerating Ktrij Nersisyan and his group means giving some people reason to think that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church lacks even the level of morality and values of an IT company. It means giving some reason to think that Armenian society does not have morals and values’, said Pashinyan, concluding — ‘We cannot allow such a thing. Ktrij and his group must be removed’.
As Astronomer announced that they accepted the company CEO Andy Byron’s resignation, Pashinyan offered his second post on the matter.
Saying that, unlike Karekin II, who ‘betrayed his marriage vow with the [Armenian] Church’ and did not yet vacate the Patriarchate, the CEO of the Astronomer, ‘caught cheating on his wife, resigned’, as it went against the company’s guiding concept.
Pashinyan concluded that by his behaviour, Karekin II invited ‘the faithful followers’ of the Armenian Church, ‘to liberate the Patriarchate from him. We will do it together. Be prepared’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
