Displaying items by tag: Mikael Adjapakhan
Armenia: bitter dispute escalates between PM and the church
A deepening rift between prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Apostolic Church, is threatening to polarise the nation of three million. Tensions erupted after Pashinyan accused Catholicos Karekin II, the Church’s spiritual head, of fathering a child and supporting a coup plot, allegations Karekin denies. The conflict, rooted partly in fallout from Armenia’s 2020 defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, has escalated with arrests of senior clergy and opposition figures, sparking alarms over religious freedom and national unity. Church bells rang an alarm at St Echmiadzin, historically reserved for invasions, signalling the detention of Archbishop Mikael Adjapakhyan, who was later arrested alongside others accused of plotting a coup. The dispute intertwines personal grievances, political rivalries, and historical tensions linked to the powerful 'Karabakh clan'. The World Council of Churches has voiced deep concern, calling for wisdom and justice to prevail. Meanwhile, Armenians fear the confrontation may fracture their society further, both politically and spiritually. See