On December 2, by directive of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Rev. Tade Priest Takhmazyan, spiritual pastor of the Talin region, was stripped of his priesthood. Effective immediately, he must return to using his baptismal name, Aramayis Takhmazyan.
The decision was made based on Aramayis’s conduct: discrediting the Church through defamatory statements, taking part in rites led by a defrocked individual, deliberately removing the required references to the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Diocesan Primate during liturgy which aligned him with a schismatic movement, and persistent disobedience toward ecclesiastical authority.
This decision follows two other removals in the past two months, involving Taron Hunanyan and Stepan Asatryan, both of whom were defrocked for persistent disobedience and participation in unauthorized or unlawful rites.
The Church’s criticism of Pashinyan’s policies brought the two sides into direct confrontation. As one of the few institutions willing to challenge the government’s agenda, the Church quickly became a target of political pressure. The arrests of Church supporters, including businessman Samvel Karapetyan and three senior clergymen, the public attacks on Church leadership, and the government’s efforts to elevate former priests have been widely interpreted as politically driven. Pashinyan’s appearances at ceremonies conducted by defrocked individuals have further heightened concern within Church circles, where such actions are seen as attempts to legitimize figures operating outside canonical authority.
In this environment, the Mother See is reinforcing unity and upholding hierarchical discipline. Further measures remain possible if clergy continue to engage in political initiatives that Church authorities regard as attempts to weaken the institution.
