The supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church returned home from a short trip to the United Arab Emirates as Pashinian sought to depose him after nearly two weeks of vicious attacks on the top clergy critical of Pashinian’s concessions to Azerbaijan.
The crowd burst into applause and chanted Garegin’s Armenian title, “Vehapar,” as he emerged from an airport building shortly after midnight.
“I know that you have come to express your indignation regarding the statements made by the prime minister of the republic in recent days against the church and clergy,” the Catholicos told it. “I know that these statements have caused widespread indignation among our people around the world.”
“I believe that with God's mercy and help, together with you, we will be able to overcome this difficulty prudently, without excessive emotion or agitation,” he stressed before the crowd joined him in reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
Garegin refused to answer questions from journalists, saying that “everything is made clear” in a statement adopted by the church’s Supreme Spiritual Council on June 2. The statement condemned Pashinian’s “shameful” campaign and linked it to Azerbaijan’s continuing demands to Armenia.
Pashinian began the social media campaign late last month with allegations that Garegin and many other senior clergymen have had secret sex affairs in breach of their vows of celibacy. He has been focused on the Catholicos in recent days. He demanded Garegin’s resignation on Monday and pledged on Tuesday morning to set up a body tasked with achieving it.
Armenian opposition leaders condemned the move as illegal and warned Pashinian against ordering his loyalists to seize the church headquarters in Echmiadzin. They also told their own supporters to be ready to gather at the Mother See in support of Garegin.
Artur Vanetsian, an opposition leader who initiated the airport demonstration, said the warm welcome given to Garegin will send a clear message to Pashinian.
“The authorities will see that the church has its loyal followers and defenders,” Vanetsian told journalists at Zvartnots.