The Ayakveh Initiative called on the World Council of Churches to condemn the Armenian authorities` attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

ArmInfo. The civil initiative "Hayakve" has once again appealed to the World Council of Churches (WCC) to condemn the Armenian authorities' attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

According to a post on the initiative's Facebook page, the new appeal was prompted by a report on the AAC's activities published by the Armenian government on September 24. It is noted that in their statement to the WCC, the initiative's representatives expressed deep concern over the increasing incidence of state interference in the internal canonical life and activities of the AAC.

According to the authors of the appeal, this report is unconstitutional and illegal, and the authorities' actions constitute a direct infringement on the autonomy of the religious organization. The document emphasizes that the Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the fundamental pillars of the spiritual and cultural life of the Armenian people and a full member of the global Christian community. In this regard, "Ayakve" insists on the need for a clear delineation between the constitutional powers of the state and the internal life of the Church.

"Ayakve" expressed concern that ongoing pressure from the authorities is leading to a deepening rift in society, hindering national harmony and reconciliation. In this regard, the initiative called on the World Council of Churches to closely monitor the situation with religious freedom in Armenia and developments surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church; reaffirm the principle of the inadmissibility of unjustified political interference in the internal affairs of the Church; and promote the strengthening of the state's respectful attitude toward the Armenian Church. "Furthermore, to promote restraint in public rhetoric regarding the clergy and religious institutions and, within the framework of its ecumenical mission, to support the protection of religious freedoms, church autonomy, dignity, and public peace in Armenia," the initiative's appeal states.

It should be noted that, according to the Constitution of Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church is separate from the state and has a special mission. However, since May of this year, the country's authorities have been pursuing an active anti-church policy and are seeking the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, who was elected to this position posthumously. As part of this campaign, both clergy and citizens who support the Church are being persecuted.

It should be added that the Public Relations and Information Center of the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia previously published a so-called report "dedicated to the situation in the Armenian Apostolic Church and possible ways to resolve it." The report, titled "On the Crisis that Has Arised in the Armenian Apostolic Church as a Result of the Activities of the De facto Leader of the Church and a Number of High-Ranking Clergy, and Ways to Resolve It," was prepared as part of the Armenian government's 2026-2031 program, upon the instruction of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. According to the document's stated purpose, "based on a study of open sources, to document the circumstances that its authors characterize as a crisis in the AAC, and to propose ways to overcome it. The authors of the report propose a five-step "roadmap" for overcoming the situation, which they characterize as a crisis."