Among the ten bishops who joined the call for His Holiness’ resignation, the leader of the Kotayk diocese, Archbishop Arakel Karamyan, forbade the priests of his diocese to discount the name of the Catholicos during the liturgy.
At the liturgy held this Sunday in Kecharis, which was attended by NSS director Andranik Simonyan, Kotayk marz governor Aharon Sahakyan and other officials, the saint’s name was called. In the conversation with “Azatutyun” this was confirmed by the spiritual pastor of Kecharis, Father Sahak Sahakyan, noting that “it was all by the order of the presiding father, Arakel Archbishop Karamyan.
“Archbishop Karamyan said that the way it is done, that is the way it should be done, that we do not discount the name of His Holiness. The fact that it is said that they told us to discount and we opposed it is a lie, it is a lie, he said, “We have been told many times that their actions are not against His Holiness the Patriarch.”
The archbishop is among the 10 bishops who met with the prime minister and then demanded his resignation.
In liturgies held with the participation of Prime Minister Pashinyan, the name of the Catholicos is usually discounted. This happened in the Saint Sargis Church of Yerevan, as well as in the dioceses of Vayots Dzor and Masiatsotn.