Armenians Criticize Vatican Over Ties to Azerbaijan Amid Cultural Heritage Destruction
Armenian activists from the Nagorno-Karabakh region expressed deep disappointment and frustration with the Catholic Church on June 26, 2026, over its diplomatic ties to Azerbaijan and silence regarding the destruction of Christian cultural heritage sites. The region, also known as Artsakh, saw an exodus of its Armenian population after Azerbaijani forces retook control in September 2023. Activists point to hundreds of millions of dollars in Vatican restoration projects funded by an Azerbaijani foundation as a source of moral contradiction. The Artsakh Union, an organization monitoring the status of over 6,000 historical monuments now under Azerbaijani control, reported that satellite imagery has already revealed the complete demolition of at least two major Armenian churches alongside widespread vandalization of cemeteries.
“Azerbaijan has been successful in preventing the Vatican from supporting the protection of our rights and especially our cultural heritage,” said Artak Beglaryan, former human rights ombudsman and chief minister in the Republic of Artsakh.
The human rights advocate noted that the region contains one of the densest and richest examples of Christian heritage in Europe, with some churches dating back to the fourth century. “We are quite respectful of the Catholic Church, but we are disappointed with its silence regarding cultural heritage and the rights of the Christian people, because we have been ethnically cleansed also because we are Christians,” Beglaryan told The Pillar.
Tensions between Christian Armenians and mostly Muslim Azerbaijanis escalated into full-scale war in 1991 during the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to initial Armenian control before the 2023 offensive reversed the situation. “Azerbaijan has fully instrumentalized the Islamic world’s solidarity, even using ISIS terrorists and mercenaries from Syria and Libya in 2020, to fight against us,” Beglaryan said.
Activists have accused Azerbaijan of attempting to erase Armenian identity by actively targeting religious landmarks and re-labeling historical Armenian churches as “Caucasian Albanian” during European exhibitions. “But we didn’t see any kind of tangible support from the Christian world, and this should have come, first and foremost, from the Catholic Church, which is the largest and most influential institution in the Christian world. That’s why we feel deep frustration about the Catholic Church’s passive attitude,” Beglaryan added. The widespread concern extends to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, an organization run by the wife of the Azerbaijani president that funds major Vatican restorations, which critics describe as an exercise in “caviar diplomacy.”
“Many of our churches have been targeted by the Azerbaijani forces. Several of them have been fully demolished, and many have been vandalized,” Beglaryan said.
An Armenian academic speaking on the condition of anonymity noted that the geopolitical partnership previously drew heavy criticism when the Vatican awarded the host nation’s first lady a high papal honor in 2020. “Critics interpreted it as prioritizing political and diplomatic interests over cultural and Christian solidarity,” the academic stated to The Pillar. The Holy See officially maintained that the honor was a gesture of appreciation for interreligious cooperation rather than a political stance, though many Armenians view the relationship as highly contradictory.
“The Vatican, on the other hand, officially presented the recognition as an appreciation for cultural and interreligious cooperation, not as a political gesture. However, for a significant portion of Armenians, this cooperation raises moral contradictions, especially in the context of concerns over the state of Armenian churches and monuments in Artsakh,” the academic added.
When questioned about whether the financial partnership directly caused the Vatican’s public caution regarding the conflict, the academic noted that historical precedents play a significant role. “There is no certain evidence that the Holy See’s public caution or limited response is directly due to its cooperation with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation,” the academic continued.
Vatican diplomats traditionally maintain balanced relationships during international disputes to preserve future opportunities for mediation between conflicting states. “Objectively, it should be noted that Vatican diplomacy has historically been very cautious and balanced in managing conflicts,” the academic said.
A curial cardinal speaking anonymously reinforced this stance, stating that the Vatican prioritizes keeping lines of communication open with both Yerevan and Baku. “the Holy See’s philosophy is to keep the channels of dialogue open with everyone,” the cardinal said. The diplomat suggested that cultivating mutual trust remains essential for the Church to eventually address ongoing bilateral issues.
“And some good may come of that,” the cardinal added.
The remarks follow a recent meeting between Pope Leo and an Armenian diaspora patriarch, His Holiness Aram I, though officials declined to confirm if the relationship with Azerbaijan was explicitly discussed. “And, as trust grows, opportunities may present themselves for the Church to play a positive role in problems that already exist or that may arise,” the cardinal said.
