Constantinople Patriarchate Condemns Criminal Case Against Catholicos

· August 12, 2026

Photo by Civilnet

The Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey has expressed deep concern over the unprecedented criminal prosecution of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six bishops.

The scandal surrounding the defrocked Bishop Gevork Saroyan has reached the judicial level, leading to the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church being banned from leaving the country and drawing strong reactions from religious centers.

In its official statement, the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey expressed full support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, emphasizing that it is the foundation of the spiritual unity of the Armenian people. The Patriarchate called on those responsible to protect the church and not turn intra-church issues into legal disputes.

“Summons and accusations against His Holiness the Patriarch and the bishops insult the honor of the church,” the statement said, stressing that such proceedings disregard constitutional guarantees.

The trial began on August 7 in the Vagharshapat court, where the first session of the preliminary hearings in the case of Karekin II and six bishops who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held, which ended with the judge’s disqualification.

In addition to the Catholicos, Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haykazun Najarian, Bishop Vahan Hovhannesyan, and Bishops Edgar and Arthur Hakobyan are involved as defendants. All of them have been charged, and the Catholicos of All Armenians has been officially banned from leaving Armenia.

The legal conflict arose in January 2026, when the Primate of the Diocese of Massyatsotn, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan (Arman Saroyan), was removed from office by the Catholicos. The Mother See’s information system explained on this occasion: “The grounds for the dismissal were the abuse of the position of the Primate, failure to fulfill his duties, and the use of coercion and pressure against the clergy of the diocese.”

However, Saroyan appealed to the General Court of First Instance of the Armavir Region, which ruled that he should continue to hold office and manage finances until the end of the investigation of the case.

Despite the court’s interim decision and the notification of the Compulsory Enforcement Service, Garegin II and the Supreme Spiritual Council decided to finally depose Saroyan. The Prosecutor’s Office described this step as a deliberate violation of the court’s request. For their part, the clergy of the Masyatsotn diocese have expressed their opposition to the decision of the secular court, which effectively obliges them to recognize a person who has become a layman as a spiritual leader.

It is also known that former Bishop Saroyan was among the clergy who demanded the resignation of the Catholicos, held meetings with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and regularly publicly criticized the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.