The Primate of the Western Diocese of North America, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, who is among the bishops aligned with Nikol Pashinyan, has announced that he will take part in the Assembly of Bishops convened by the Mother See in Austria on February 16–19.
According to the statement, Archbishop Hovnan will also participate in the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council scheduled for February 20–21.
Earlier, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian had been associated with statements indicating non-participation in the Assembly of Bishops in the Austrian city of St. Pölten and with calls to cancel that assembly. His announced participation therefore represents a departure from those earlier positions.
Hovnan Derderian has publicly aligned himself with Nikol Pashinyan, who is currently engaged in a state-led campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, marked by public attacks on the Church leadership, pressure on clergy, calls for the resignation of the Catholicos, and efforts to undermine the authority of the Mother See.
