Armenian Government Releases Church Governance Report, Proposes Reforms

The Armenian government has published a report addressing what it characterizes as a crisis in church governance, proposing structural reforms to the country's religious institutions. The report's release follows Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent calls for a parliamentary investigation into how the Armenian Apostolic Church is administered. Pashinyan's administration has been pressing Catholicos Karekin II, the church's spiritual leader, to resign. The tensions between the government and church leadership reflect broader disagreements over institutional authority and management within Armenia's religious hierarchy. The proposed restructuring measures remain under review as both sides engage in ongoing discussions about the church's future organizational framework.