Catholicos Garegin II also warned that the government’s policies could have further “painful” consequences for Armenia when he spoke during a special prayer service held on Sunday in support of the Karabakh Armenians subjected to “terrible suffering and inhuman deprivation.”
“The souls of all of us are filled with infinite pain and deep concern,” Garegin said as the last remaining residents of Karabakh fled to Armenia.
“It is with pain to reflect on this national tragedy that the inadequate response of the world to the aggressive, genocidal actions of Azerbaijan, the policy adopted by the authorities of the Republic of Armenia towards Artsakh and the divisiveness of our people led to the loss of Artsakh,” he went on.
“Today, the Republic of Armenia is facing the same threat; the dangers of loss of sovereignty and statehood are openly discussed. The security challenges, the territorial losses, the haste shown in the process of establishing peace under obvious coercion as well as the ways of the government's communication with the public have created an atmosphere of mistrust and brought about a just protest, which in the created complex situation can lead to painful developments.”
Armenia - Worshippers attend a prayer service in support of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, Echmiadzin, October 1, 2023.
Armenia’s leaders should “act soberly” and “correctly assess the geopolitical realities,” rather than “weaken the people with new dividing lines, unbalanced words and expressions,” Garegin added during the open-air service held in Echmiadzin.
The Armenian Church has repeatedly joined opposition groups and Karabakh’s leadership in criticizing Pashinian’s policy on the conflict with Azerbaijan, further deepening its tensions with the government. It specifically deplored in late May his decision to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. The church’s Supreme Spiritual Council said at the time that Pashinian’s far-reaching concession to Baku will “inevitably leave our brothers and sisters in Artsakh facing a new genocide and loss of the homeland.”
Earlier in May, Pashinian accused the ancient church, to which the vast majority of Armenians nominally belong, of meddling in politics, prompting a scathing response from Garegin’s office.