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.
Pashinyan goes to Moscow | Elections | POW debacle | Covid Update | Economy (Ep #57) - Apr 11, 2021 [EP57]
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Politics, Armenian Church, NATO
ANN/Groong Week in Review - April 11, 2021
Topics:
- Mr. Pashinyan goes to Moscow
- Election Politics
- The POW debacle
- A Coronavirus Update
- The State of the Economy
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Hrant Mikaelian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Episode 57 | Recorded: April 12, 2021
Latest IRI Poll Results | Armen Grigoryan Interview | Snap On, Snap Off (Ep #53) - 03/14/2021 [EP53]
Posted on Monday, Mar 15, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Economy, Human Rights, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 14, 2021
Topics:
- Newly Released IRI Poll Results
- Armen Grigoryanâs Interview
- Snap On, Snap Off!
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan
Hosts
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210314.html Episode 53 | Recorded on March 14, 2021
Latest IRI Poll Results | Armen Grigoryan Interview | Snap On, Snap Off (Ep #53) - 03/14/2021 [EP53]
Posted on Monday, Mar 15, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Economy, Human Rights, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno KarabakhGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 14, 2021
Topics:
- Newly Released IRI Poll Results
- Armen Grigoryanâs Interview
- Snap On, Snap Off!
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan
Hosts
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210314.html Episode 53 | Recorded on March 14, 2021
Sargsyan Interview | Criminalizing Defamation | Martial Law? | Protests 2/20/21 | Govsagan (Ep #51) [EP51]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Iran, European Union | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN Groong Week in Review Episode 51 - Feb 21, 2021
Topics Covered:
- President Sargsyanâs Interview
- Legislation to Criminalize Defamation of Government Officials
- Appointment of Acting Governors and Mayors during Martial Law
- Opposition Protests on Feb 20
- Govsagan, in the end
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian @asbedk
- Marine Manucharyan @armoland
- @Emil_Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Alen Zamanyan @alenzam99
- Asbed Bedrossian @Qubriq
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210221.html Episode 51 | Recorded: February 21, 2021
Sargsyan Interview | Criminalizing Defamation | Martial Law? | Protests 2/20/21 | Govsagan (Ep #51) [EP51]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Iran, European UnionGuest(s):
ANN Groong Week in Review Episode 51 - Feb 21, 2021
Topics Covered:
- President Sargsyanâs Interview
- Legislation to Criminalize Defamation of Government Officials
- Appointment of Acting Governors and Mayors during Martial Law
- Opposition Protests on Feb 20
- Govsagan, in the end
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian @asbedk
- Marine Manucharyan @armoland
- @Emil_Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Alen Zamanyan @alenzam99
- Asbed Bedrossian @Qubriq
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210221.html Episode 51 | Recorded: February 21, 2021
The Role of The Humanities and Social Studies in Armenian Life (Ep #32) - 12/13/2020 [EP32]
Posted on Monday, Dec 14, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Economy, China, Iran, Russia, Armenian Church | Series: cog
Guest(s):
The Role of The Humanities and Social Studies in Armenian Life - 12/13/2020
Conversations on Groong
Academia and academic work, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences, has always been instrumentalized by various ideologies and/or political regimes. Moreover, various disciplines within each of those fields such as anthropology, art history, literature, etc., have a long tradition of being the middle children of academia and are rarely considered to have a role in shaping minds and trends in society. In Armenia the roles of
Read MoreThe Role of The Humanities and Social Studies in Armenian Life (Ep #32) - 12/13/2020 [EP32]
Posted on Monday, Dec 14, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Economy, China, Iran, Russia, Armenian ChurchGuest(s):
The Role of The Humanities and Social Studies in Armenian Life - 12/13/2020
Conversations on Groong
Academia and academic work, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences, has always been instrumentalized by various ideologies and/or political regimes. Moreover, various disciplines within each of those fields such as anthropology, art history, literature, etc., have a long tradition of being the middle children of academia and are rarely considered to have a role in shaping minds and trends in society. In Armenia the roles of
Read MoreBorder Demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan | Scene in Yerevan | COVID | Armenia Fund (Ep. 29) [EP29]
Posted on Friday, Dec 4, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Georgia, Economy, Russia, China, Middle East, Armenian Church | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 29 - Nov 29, 2020
Topics Covered:
- Border Demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- The Scene in Yerevan
- COVID Update
- Armenia Fund support for the post-war Economy
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Resident Panelists:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Hrant Mikaelian
Recorded: Nov 29, 2020
Border Demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan | Scene in Yerevan | COVID | Armenia Fund (Ep. 29) [EP29]
Posted on Friday, Dec 4, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Georgia, Economy, Russia, China, Middle East, Armenian ChurchGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 29 - Nov 29, 2020
Topics Covered:
- Border Demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- The Scene in Yerevan
- COVID Update
- Armenia Fund support for the post-war Economy
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Resident Panelists:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Hrant Mikaelian
Recorded: Nov 29, 2020