Against the backdrop of the Armenian Apostolic Church “reform” campaign of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the chaplaincy of the Armenian Armed Forces was removed from the subordination of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin by order of the minister of defense, starting from February 1.
As a result, the overwhelming majority of chaplains who have served in the Armenian Armed Forces for almost three decades no longer perform chaplaincy in military units, and they have returned to the Mother See.
Father Yesayi Artenyan, Director of the Information Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, on Wednesday told Armenian News-NEWS.am that this decision regarding chaplaincy in the Armenian Armed Forces does not, first of all, stem from the interests of the soldiers as well as the Armenian army, and it needs some clarification and revision.
“The decision of the minister of defense to terminate the chaplaincy of the Armed Forces was carried out with legislative violations; we had the opportunity to announce this.
You know that according to the law on relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the church is entitled to have a permanent spiritual representative in the military unit.
Also, according to the charter of the chaplaincy signed between the Mother See and the MoD [i.e. the Ministry of Defense], the chaplaincy of the Armed Forces is dissolved by the blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians and the order of the MoD. These two laws have been clearly violated. And this is what should be brought to the attention of the public.
At the time of termination of the chaplaincy in the Armed Forces, we had 42 chaplains. When the chaplaincy in the Armed Forces was terminated, three out of 42 chaplains were conscripts, they entered conscript service, four out of the remaining 39 chaplains joined the ‘reform’ movement, and the remaining chaplains have returned to the Mother See and will have new appointments in their [spiritual] service.
This decision regarding the chaplaincy in the Armed Forces does not, first of all, stem from the interests of the soldiers and also the Armenian Army and needs certain clarifications and revisions.
You know that in the army, various pressures were put on the chaplains, and the chaplains did not agree to those conditions: to join the ‘reform’ movement. Accordingly, naturally, their activities were hindered in some way,” noted the director of the Information Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
