In a joint statement adopted during an annual conference in Echmiadzin, they also deplored the “political persecution” of two archbishops and Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian arrested last month.
“The inappropriate behavior and obscene language displayed by the Armenian authorities towards the Holy Church, their continuous threats and blatant attempts to split the clergy offend the noble feelings of our believers around the world and also directly violate Armenia’s Constitution and Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations and numerous international norms,” read the statement issued by more than 200 priests.
“Hate speech, propaganda of discrimination, and calls for various forms of violence are dangerous and destructive and can never bring good to our national and patriotic life,” it said.
The low-ranking clerics went on to express their “filial support” for Garegin, who presided over their gathering. They described him as a “good and courageous shepherd” who must continue to lead the church and its faithful to “peaceful and safe havens with divine wisdom, calmness and an ever-vigilant spirit.”
The heads of the Armenian Church’s worldwide dioceses and other bishops issued a similar statement a week ago.
Pashinian has been pressuring the top clergy and Garegin in particular to resign, saying that they have had secret sex affairs in breach of their vows of celibacy. His detractors say that he is simply trying to please Azerbaijan and/or neutralize a key source of opposition to his unilateral concessions to Armenia’s arch-foe.
Unlike the bishops and other senior clerics, Armenian parish priests have traditionally been allowed to marry and have children. Pashinian tried to reach out to them last week, calling them his “brothers” and urging them to help him topple Garegin. Many of them scoffed at his appeal.
Pashinian threatened on June 26 to forcibly remove Garegin from the church’s Echmiadzin headquarters if the Catholicos continues to ignore his demands. Security forces raided the Mother See the next morning in a bid to arrest Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian. But they failed to do that after meeting with fierce resistance from hundreds of angry priests and laymen.
Ajapahian surrendered to investigators several hours after the unprecedented raid condemned by the Armenian opposition and many public figures. He was charged with calling for a violent regime change.
Pashinian indicated on Monday that Armenia’s National Security Service and other law-enforcement agencies must be able to raid the Mother See again. The statement fueled speculation that he may order them to arrest Garegin.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed serious concern at Pashinian’s campaign on Tuesday. It called on the Armenian government to “refrain from actions or statements” undermining “the principles of religious freedom, due process, and the peaceful exercise of faith.”