Pashinyan, who has 23 percent support, has no right to the entire Armenian society

During the last 2 weeks, Nikol Pashinyan and his teammates rarely remember about the campaign they started against the Apostolic Church and Vehapar. Did the authorities divert their pre-election campaign from the anti-Church and anti-Catholic campaign, or are they just working behind the scenes, with the bishops who have joined them and have been called “tiradav”, or have they simply realized that they cannot fight against the Church, and have decided to “retreat”?

Reverend Vrtanes Baghalyan, spiritual pastor of St. Hovhannes Church in Byurakan it is difficult to say what the authorities have understood, only God knows what they are thinking.

The clergyman believes that the government’s lack of activity regarding the topic of the church before the upcoming elections indicates that the anti-church campaign has no support in the society.

“If the government had full support from the people in this campaign, it would have been more active before the elections. But this is an indicator that society does not support them in this matter. According to me, this campaign is also directed from outside, by Erdogan, Aliyev and Pashazade, the government knows that the society inside the country does not support their campaign.

I don’t know if they will be elected in the elections or not, but if they try to reactivate this program after being elected, it will mean that they have made some promises to foreign forces. It is clear that if they are not elected, this movement against the Church will never be renewed.” of 168.am said Vrtanes Baghalyan in a conversation with

Reverend Vrtanes Baghalyan reminded that the authorities started an anti-church movement in 2018, failed and stopped it, and the authorities resumed it again in May last year.

“I have witnessed myself, both in the Mother See and in other places, how the people, ordinary citizens, are fighting for St. Etchmiadzin and the Catholicos.

Hopefully, people with legal education warned Nikol Pashinyan that what he is doing against the church is not part of his authority, it is an abuse of authority.

In any case, the movement of the authorities against the Apostolic Church and His Holiness is doomed to failure,” added the clergyman.

According to our interlocutor, for a long time, the authorities have, so to speak, “worked” with various clergymen, they have given them cheap promises in order to provide against the Apostolic Church, Vehapar, but the authorities have not found much support among the priestly class. If 2 out of 20 priests support the government, it turns out that 10 percent of the entire priestly class supports this government campaign.

“If we take into account that we have about 57 bishops and archbishops, the government managed to attract only 9 of them to its side. His Highness, unlike the authorities, does not have the Prosecutor’s Office, Investigation, National Security and other structures. In other words, we are spiritually subordinate to the Mother See. We see that government officials are also providing state protection for all those clergy who join the Prime Minister’s anti-church movement. Even with this state support and protection, the government could not have more than 10 percent support among all church members. More than 90 percent of church members are on the side of His Holiness, moreover, more than 90 percent of the Armenian society also supports the church and His Holiness,” added Father Vrtanes Baghalyan.

Continuing, the priest said that according to various inquiries: Nikol Pashinyan is supported by only 23 percent of society, therefore, Pashinyan, who has 23 percent support, has no right to start a movement on behalf of the entire Armenian society against the Patriarch, who has the support of 90 percent of society.

“The Church is a divine structure, the society loves the Reverend Father very much, despite the fact that false news against him is circulating on the Internet, especially those people who do not know the Reverend Father personally. Myths and legends are circulating about Vehapar, spreading negative information. In addition, the government is exerting pressure by detaining His Holiness’s brother, nephew, sister’s son, i.e. His Holiness’s relatives, his beloved clergymen, Saints Mikael and Bagrat, Saints Mkrtich and Saints Arshak, as well as priests.

Until this moment, the investigative agency has not returned my phone, this speaks of the attitude of their organization towards us. In October, I was questioned as a witness, my phone was confiscated. They haven’t been able to look at the contents of my phone for so long and return it to me? This speaks of the poor work of the Investigative Service,” emphasized priest Vrtanes Baghalyan.

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