Tag: Armenian Church
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The Armenian Apostolic Church, founded in 301 AD when Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, is 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.
Armeenia and Artsakh in the Arab Media (Ep #24) - 10/28/2020 [EP24]
Posted on Monday, Nov 2, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Middle East, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Artsakh, Israel, Russia, Armenian Church
Conversations on Groong: Artsakh in the Arab Media - Oct 28, 2020
Since September 27, Azerbaijan has been waging an all out war on Artsakh, cluster-bombing towns and villages and killing civilians and destroying churches and cultural centers, with the aim to destroy and depopulate the region. The worldwide Armenian Diaspora has come together to fight this existential threat.
Weâve read much about the Diasporaâs activities around most of the world, but what about the Arab world? This episode explores some of the challenges and opportunities that the Armenian communities in the Arab world
Read MoreANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #16) - 09/20/2020 [EP16]
Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - 09/20/2020
Topics:
- Constitutional Court Appointment
- Armeniaâs Growing National Debt
- Calls for the Resignation of the Minister of Education
- Escalated Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border
- Armenian Soldier dies amidst escalation
- Azerbaijan again slams negotiations, turns away Russian AWACS
- Khodorkovsky Publishes New Dossier on Armenian & Azerbaijan
- Bob Dole hired by Embassy of Armenia as a Lobbyist
Guests
- Hrant Mikaelyan
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan
Hosts
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200920.html Episode 16 | Recorded on September 20, 2020
ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #16) - 09/20/2020 [EP16]
Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Genocide, Human Rights, IsraelANN/Groong Week in Review - 09/20/2020
Topics:
- Constitutional Court Appointment
- Armeniaâs Growing National Debt
- Calls for the Resignation of the Minister of Education
- Escalated Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border
- Armenian Soldier dies amidst escalation
- Azerbaijan again slams negotiations, turns away Russian AWACS
- Khodorkovsky Publishes New Dossier on Armenian & Azerbaijan
- Bob Dole hired by Embassy of Armenia as a Lobbyist
Guests
- Hrant Mikaelyan
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan
Hosts
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200920.html Episode 16 | Recorded on September 20, 2020
Education Reform in Armenia - 08/10/2020 Conversations on Groong Asbed Kotchikian talks with Ara Sanjian & Siranush Dvoyan
Topics:
Background of education reform(s) in Armenia In depth analysis of the content, standards & measurable outcomes of the proposed curriculumâs history & literature segments. Challenges of implementing the proposed curriculum
In recent months, Armeniaâs government has published its proposal for K-12 curriculum reform in Armenian schools. The new curriculum, which includes education standards and learning outcomes, proved to be quite controversial with
Read MoreEducation Reform in Armenia - 08/10/2020 Conversations on Groong Asbed Kotchikian talks with Ara Sanjian & Siranush Dvoyan
Topics:
Background of education reform(s) in Armenia In depth analysis of the content, standards & measurable outcomes of the proposed curriculumâs history & literature segments. Challenges of implementing the proposed curriculum
In recent months, Armeniaâs government has published its proposal for K-12 curriculum reform in Armenian schools. The new curriculum, which includes education standards and learning outcomes, proved to be quite controversial with
Read More#WordsNotSwords | Kocharyan Interview | SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan | Constitutional Court Nominees | State of Covid | Changes in Diaspora High Commissioner Office | Headlines | People | Ep 8 - Aug 2, 2020 [EP5]
Posted on Monday, Aug 3, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Artsakh, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Church, China, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, Ukraine | Series: WIR
ANN Groong Week in Review - 08/02/2020
Topics:
- Living With Conflict #WordsNotSwords
- Panel Discussion on Robert Kocharyanâs Interview
- Lightning Round
- The SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan
- Nominees for the Constitutional Court
- The PMâs Outlook on the State of the Pandemic
- Staff Changes in the Diaspora High Commissionerâs Office
Guests
Resident panelists:
Episode 5 | Recorded ob August 2, 2020
#WordsNotSwords | Kocharyan Interview | SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan | Constitutional Court Nominees | State of Covid | Changes in Diaspora High Commissioner Office | Headlines | People | Ep 8 - Aug 2, 2020 [EP5]
Posted on Monday, Aug 3, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Artsakh, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Church, China, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, UkraineANN Groong Week in Review - 08/02/2020
Topics:
- Living With Conflict #WordsNotSwords
- Panel Discussion on Robert Kocharyanâs Interview
- Lightning Round
- The SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan
- Nominees for the Constitutional Court
- The PMâs Outlook on the State of the Pandemic
- Staff Changes in the Diaspora High Commissionerâs Office
Guests
Resident panelists:
Episode 5 | Recorded ob August 2, 2020