Armenian Church
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The Armenian Apostolic Church — sometimes referred to in Western sources as the Armenian Orthodox Church, though the Church itself uses the Apostolic designation — was founded in 301 AD when Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, making it among the world’s oldest Christian institutions. Its spiritual center is the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin , and it is led by the Catholicos of All Armenians, currently Garegin II .
Groong has covered the Armenian Church across more than 80 episodes, from its theological and cultural role in Armenian identity to its increasingly contested political position. Coverage includes the church’s response to the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, the emergence of tensions between the Catholicosate and the Pashinyan government, and the dramatic events of 2025 in which multiple senior archbishops were arrested.
A central theme in recent coverage is the Pashinyan government’s effort to weaken the Armenian Apostolic Church under the framing of institutional reform. Critics argue that the government has used legislative and legal mechanisms to reduce the church’s influence in Armenian public life — stripping its exemptions, challenging its land holdings, and targeting clergy through the court system — in what many observers describe as a politically motivated campaign to neutralize a powerful institution that has historically commanded broad public trust.
The arrests of multiple senior clergy in 2025 form the sharpest edge of this confrontation. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan led a mass opposition movement before his arrest in June. Archbishops Mikayel Ajapahyan and Arshak Khachatryan and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan were also arrested later that year. These events have made the church-state relationship one of the most closely watched dimensions of Armenian domestic politics heading into the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Armenian Church.
Hagop Djernazian - Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate Land Lease Angers Worldwide Community | Ep. 261 - June 11, 2023 [EP261]
Posted on Saturday, Jun 10, 2023 | Category: Diaspora, Israel, Jerusalem, Middle East, Armenian Church, Armenia | Series: cog
Hagop Djernazian - Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate Land Lease Angers Worldwide Community
Guest:
Topics:
- Intro to Armenians in Jerusalem
- Escalating violence on Armenians
- Intro to the Armenian Patriarchate
- On the contract of the 99-year lease and its consequences
- About the community protest movement
- What if the contract goes forward?
Episode 261 | Recorded on Wednesday, June 11 2023
Hagop Djernazian - Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate Land Lease Angers Worldwide Community | Ep. 261 - June 11, 2023 [EP261]
Posted on Saturday, Jun 10, 2023 | Category: Diaspora, Israel, Jerusalem, Middle East, Armenian Church, ArmeniaHagop Djernazian - Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate Land Lease Angers Worldwide Community
Guest:
Topics:
- Intro to Armenians in Jerusalem
- Escalating violence on Armenians
- Intro to the Armenian Patriarchate
- On the contract of the 99-year lease and its consequences
- About the community protest movement
- What if the contract goes forward?
Episode 261 | Recorded on Wednesday, June 11 2023
Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia Azerbaijan Negotiations | IRI Poll | Armenia Census 2022 [EP252]
Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Poll, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, European Union, Georgia, Economy, India, Ukraine, China, Genocide, Israel | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
- Latest IRI Armenia Poll Results
- Armenian Census 2022 - Preliminary Results
Episode 252 | Recorded: May 9, 2023
Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia Azerbaijan Negotiations | IRI Poll | Armenia Census 2022 [EP252]
Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Poll, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, European Union, Georgia, Economy, India, Ukraine, China, Genocide, IsraelGuest:
Topics:
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
- Latest IRI Armenia Poll Results
- Armenian Census 2022 - Preliminary Results
Episode 252 | Recorded: May 9, 2023
Arthur Khachatryan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 15 [EP193]
Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Economy | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Arthur Khachatryan , an MP from the Hayastan (Armenia) alliance and member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF Dashnaktsutyun). In the past, he held government posts such as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Governor of Shirak, and Minister of Agriculture.
“The Armenian authorities are trying to bury the issue of status of Artsakh” -Arthur Khachatryan
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin corridor, as this crisis enters its 15th day.
Read MoreArthur Khachatryan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 15 [EP193]
Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, EconomyGuest:
- Arthur Khachatryan , an MP from the Hayastan (Armenia) alliance and member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF Dashnaktsutyun). In the past, he held government posts such as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Governor of Shirak, and Minister of Agriculture.
“The Armenian authorities are trying to bury the issue of status of Artsakh” -Arthur Khachatryan
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin corridor, as this crisis enters its 15th day.
Read MoreDevelopments in Regional Geopolitics and Censorship Laws | Ep #146 - July 10, 2022 [EP146]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, India, Georgia, Israel, China, Economy, Ukraine, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Middle East | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:40 Developments in the Regional Geopolitics
- 47:53 Watch your Internets!
- 55:58 Rants
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian / TW/@Hrant_M
- Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Developments in Regional Geopolitics and Censorship Laws | Ep #146 - July 10, 2022 [EP146]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, India, Georgia, Israel, China, Economy, Ukraine, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Middle EastGuest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:40 Developments in the Regional Geopolitics
- 47:53 Watch your Internets!
- 55:58 Rants
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian / TW/@Hrant_M
- Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Armenia News: Yerevan Protests | Armenia Responds | Lebanon Elections 2022 | Ep #137 - May 15, 2022 [EP137]
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh, Iran, Turkey, Economy, Armenian Church, China, Georgia, Israel, Middle East, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 15, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:34 Continuing Opposition Protests in Yerevan
- 18:19 5 + 6: Armeniaâs âResponseâ to Azerbaijan
- 41:28 Lebanon Elections 2022
Guests:
- Dr. Ohannes Geukjian
- Arthur G. Martirosyan
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Katia Peltekian / TW/@KatiaPeltekian
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 137 | Recorded: Tuesday, May 16, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220515.html