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.

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

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: Armenia’s “Response” 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

ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 with Aram Hamparian | Ep #136 - May 13, 2022 [EP136]

Posted on Friday, May 13, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, India, Russia, Syria, Geopolitics, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Artsakh, Georgia, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: cog

ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 - MaY 13, 2022 A Conversation with ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN

Topics:

  • The US/Turkey F-35/F-16 Fallout
  • US Aid to Armenia and Artsakh
  • The Armenian Genocide Education Bill
  • Dr. Oz is Mehmet Oz
  • The US Election Cycles of 2022 and 2024

Guest:

  • Aram Suren Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 136 | Recorded on Thursday, May 12, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220513.html

ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 with Aram Hamparian | Ep #136 - May 13, 2022 [EP136]

Posted on Friday, May 13, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, India, Russia, Syria, Geopolitics, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Artsakh, Georgia, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 - MaY 13, 2022 A Conversation with ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN

Topics:

  • The US/Turkey F-35/F-16 Fallout
  • US Aid to Armenia and Artsakh
  • The Armenian Genocide Education Bill
  • Dr. Oz is Mehmet Oz
  • The US Election Cycles of 2022 and 2024

Guest:

  • Aram Suren Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 136 | Recorded on Thursday, May 12, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220513.html

Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]

Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022

Topics:

  • Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
  • Update on Ukraine
  • FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html

Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]

Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022

Topics:

  • Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
  • Update on Ukraine
  • FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html

Ukraine | Heritage Destruction | NKR Law | Arresting Arayik | IRI results | Ep #121 - Feb 20, 2022 [EP121]

Posted on Sunday, Feb 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Iran, Artsakh, Economy, Genocide, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022

Topics:

  • Ukraine: Biden’s Tunnel of Crisis
  • Azeri Commission to Destroy Armenian Heritage
  • Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
  • Azerbaijan Wants to Arrest Artsakh President
  • IRI Poll Results Revisited

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html

Ukraine | Heritage Destruction | NKR Law | Arresting Arayik | IRI results | Ep #121 - Feb 20, 2022 [EP121]

Posted on Sunday, Feb 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Iran, Artsakh, Economy, Genocide, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022

Topics:

  • Ukraine: Biden’s Tunnel of Crisis
  • Azeri Commission to Destroy Armenian Heritage
  • Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
  • Azerbaijan Wants to Arrest Artsakh President
  • IRI Poll Results Revisited

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html

Isabel Bayrakdarian talks about Armenian Songs for Children w/Bedros Afeyan | Ep. 115 - Jan 27, 2022 [EP115]

Posted on Thursday, Jan 27, 2022 | Category: Arts, Diaspora, Lebanon, Armenia, USA, Iran, Genocide, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, European Union | Series: tcc

Armenian Songs for Children Bedros Afeyan talks with Isabel Bayrakdarian

Topics:

  • Journey Back to Armenian Music
  • Musical Harmony Between Armenian Music and Classical Canon
  • Researching, Teaching and Choosing Songs
  • Isabel’s Favorites and Influences

Guest:

Host:

Song Excerpts list & timestamps: (Note: All excerpts used with permission)

  • 00:00 Komitas - Sleep My Child - Lullaby
  • 01:35 Komitas - Six Children’s Songs
  • 27:03 Ganachian - The Swallow / Tsitsernak
  • 29:06 Komitas - Little Wooden
 Read More

Isabel Bayrakdarian talks about Armenian Songs for Children w/Bedros Afeyan | Ep. 115 - Jan 27, 2022 [EP115]

Posted on Thursday, Jan 27, 2022 | Category: Arts, Diaspora, Lebanon, Armenia, USA, Iran, Genocide, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, European Union

Armenian Songs for Children Bedros Afeyan talks with Isabel Bayrakdarian

Topics:

  • Journey Back to Armenian Music
  • Musical Harmony Between Armenian Music and Classical Canon
  • Researching, Teaching and Choosing Songs
  • Isabel’s Favorites and Influences

Guest:

Host:

Song Excerpts list & timestamps: (Note: All excerpts used with permission)

  • 00:00 Komitas - Sleep My Child - Lullaby
  • 01:35 Komitas - Six Children’s Songs
  • 27:03 Ganachian - The Swallow / Tsitsernak
  • 29:06 Komitas - Little Wooden
 Read More