Controversy over not broadcasting the speech of the leader of the Armenian Catholics on the Armenian state television

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, in Armenia, the nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party showed a sharp reaction to the non-broadcasting of the traditional New Year’s speech of Gargin II (Catholicus of All Armenians) on the public television channel of this country. The public television network building in Yerevan, with the slogans “Shame on you!” “TRT” have gathered.

Those who chanted by mentioning the name of TRT were referring to the state network of Turkey and ironically considered the state network of Armenia as the state network of Turkey.

p dir=”RTL”>David Thomasian, an Armenian lawyer, wrote on his Facebook page that the refusal of public television and a number of other channels to broadcast the Catholicos message is not only against Gargin II, but also against the Church and religion in general.

Public TV of Armenia did not explain

It should be noted that For decades, the head of the Armenian Church has delivered a speech on New Year’s Eve shortly before the head of state.

The Armenian TV network offered Catholicos to speak on the evening’s “News” program, but Gargin II rejected such an option and stated: Throughout the history of independence, since the time of Holy Father Vazgen I, public television has traditionally broadcast the message of the Holy Father before the direct speech of the head of state on New Year’s Eve. But this time, public television announced at the last minute that the speech of the Holy Father will not be broadcast without providing any explanation.

Public television of Armenia refused to explain what happened.

Hovans Mousisyan, the director general of this TV channel, left the journalists’ questions unanswered.

Despite the refusal of Armenian Public Television to comment, this issue is currently the most discussed in The media and the Armenian sector have had social networks.

Some users explain what happened as a difference of opinion between Echmiadzin Cathedral and Nikol Pashinyan.

The speech of Catholicos was not only not broadcast on Armenian Public Broadcasting. They didn’t even publish this speech on the YouTube channel and information service site.

Only the messages of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Alan Simonyan, Minister of Defense of Armenia and Mayor of Yerevan on this website. It has been placed.

The issue of the Armenians of Karabakh, which was directly raised in the speech of Catholicos, is: to remember our displaced brothers and sisters from Artsakh (Karabakh) with compassionate love. Let’s increase their hope so that their hope to return to our motherland Artsakh (Karabakh) will never be lost. May their faith in God remain stable.

Although Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan apologized to the Armenians of Karabakh in his New Year message, he emphasized that he is not responsible for their departure from Karabakh.

He once again announced that as the prime minister he will act in the interests of the Republic of Armenia.

Clash between Armenian Prime Minister and Catholicos

Relations between the Echmiadzin Cathedral and the Pashinyan government have been strained, especially after the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh war.

At that time, Catholicos asked Pashinyan to resign. After that, some clerics of the Armenian Church joined the anti-government actions of the Armenian opposition.

It is also emphasized that the Catholicos and the Prime Minister of Armenia have not participated in any joint events since 2019.

The Catholicos of All Armenians complained about the removal of the subject “History of the Armenian Church” from the list of secondary school subjects.

Attitude of the Armenian community towards the role of the Armenian Church in political life Armenia is ambiguous.

Many supporters of Pashinyan’s government say that the Republic of Armenia is a secular country and therefore religion is separate from the state in Armenia.

It should be said, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that started in 1988 caused a conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and 7 surrounding districts were occupied. As a result of the 44-day war in 2020, Baku took control of those 7 districts and part of Karabakh.

According to the agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia, Russian troops in the corridor Lachin and the Karabakh hotline have been deployed.

On September 19-20 this year, Baku announced “local anti-terrorist measures” in Karabakh. Yerevan called the move “ethnic cleansing” and “aggression”.

On September 20, Karabakh separatists said they had agreed to Baku’s terms. Later, the migration of the Armenian population from Karabakh to Armenia began.

On September 28, 2023, a self-proclaimed Republic of Karabakh announced that it would cease its activities.

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