Armenia’s Former PM Responds to Church Accusations

“An open letter against me was published, I assume, from the top, from [the Armenian Cathedral of Holy] Etchmiadzin. If the bishop is writing it, then let him write his name,” said Armenia’s former prime minister and current member of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress Hrant Bagratyan, speaking to journalists today and commenting on the open letter published after he called for the church to be levied.

“I simply said, and now I insist, that firstly, publicize your books, your balance, who approves your budget in general. Then, why are you surprised at the increase of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Why should I believe that dark, non-transparent church,” he said, citing an instance of residents, not having money to pay for an offering, leave the church without lighting a candle (this rite practiced by Armenian and non-Armenian Christians alike represents a prayer for a loved one).

“It’s a shame, there is no such church in the world, not even in Russia, Ukraine, or Georgia: you enter, take the candle and light it. Around the world, candles are not generally sold,” said Bagratyan, stressing the difference between a payment and a donation, then asking whether it’s possible to change anything inside the Armenian Apostolic Church or is it “finally a sect.”

Further, the opposition member noted a violation of law in the church’s activities. According to him, the church must issue HDM receipts: “When you go, you take on the service of a godfather; let them hand out HDM receipts.” Note that HDM receipts are point-of-sale receipts issued for goods and services and mandated by the state, and the role of the godfather in the church includes paying for all expenses related to church services for baptism, weddings and so on.

Addressing the accusations hurled against him, Bagratyan said it was during his tenure as prime minister when all the victories took place.

“It was during my term that I created the aviation, we beat any aircraft; it was during my time that we began to return POWs to Azerbaijan, their army began not to fight, we began treating POWs normally, from that their productivity fell; reservists appeared in my day because 18–20 year old [conscripts] were few,” he recalled.

“And the church is reprimanding me, it doesn’t say, wow, this man is saying something else [entirely], he’s saying get yourselves in order,” he said, adding that he is saying one thing and the church is saying another.

Asked why the Armenian church doesn’t “bring itself to order,” Bagratyan said: “It’s a mafia. It’s not transparent. They still don’t have a single paper that says, let’s say, how the Catholicos [of all Armenians] is elected. Quite inappropriately [in fact]: whoever insists the most becomes Catholicos,” he said.