A solemn Divine Liturgy was held this evening at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
At the conclusion of the service, the clergy offered focused prayers for those the Church identifies as unlawfully detained, a group that now exceeds sixty political prisoners in Armenia. Among the names raised were Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, Head of the Shirak Diocese, arrested on June 28, 2025; Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Tavush for the Homeland movement, arrested on June 25, 2025; Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, Head of the Aragatsotn Diocese, arrested on October 15, 2025; Priest Garegin Arsenyan, Chancellor of the Aragatsotn Diocese, arrested on the same date; and national benefactor Samvel Karapetyan, arrested on June 18, 2025.
The prayers were not symbolic formalities. They directly reflected the intensifying campaign led by Nikol Pashinyan and his team against the Church. The arrests of senior clergy and prominent public figures are widely seen as elements of a systematic, politically driven effort. For many in society, these actions form a deliberate strategy aimed at weakening the Church and diminishing its authority.
By invoking these names within the Divine Liturgy at the Mother See, the Church made clear that it will not retreat from its duty to speak for those it believes have been deprived of justice. The rising number of political prisoners and the mounting hostility directed at the Church have only strengthened its resolve to assert its moral voice at a time of national strain.
