Catholicos

Last updated: May 29, 2026

The Catholicos of All Armenians is the supreme spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church , based at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin . The current Catholicos is Garegin II, who has held the position since 1999. A second Catholicosate, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, is based in Antelias, Lebanon, and serves as an independent jurisdiction for portions of the Armenian diaspora.

Groong episodes touching on the Catholicos cover a broad range: the role of Garegin II in responding to the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, his public statements during periods of political crisis in Armenia, and the deepening friction between the Catholicosate and the Pashinyan government. The government’s push to reform and reduce the institutional influence of the church has placed the Catholicos at the center of a political struggle that intensified markedly in 2025 with the arrest of multiple senior clergy.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Catholicos.

Karen Vrtanesyan - Illusion of Normalcy | Political Prisoners & Judicial Harassment | Negotiations | Military Capacity | What Next | Ep 302 - January 14, 2024 [EP302]

Posted on Monday, Jan 15, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Human Rights, Iran, NATO, India | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • “Forced Illusion of Normalcy”
  • Political Prisoners and Judicial Harassment
  • Negotiations and “Peace Treaty”
  • Armenia’s Military Capacity
  • What Need to be Done?
  • Thoughts from the Participants

Episode 302 | Recorded: January 14, 2024

Karen Vrtanesyan - Illusion of Normalcy | Political Prisoners & Judicial Harassment | Negotiations | Military Capacity | What Next | Ep 302 - January 14, 2024 [EP302]

Posted on Monday, Jan 15, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Human Rights, Iran, NATO, India

Guest:

Topics:

  • “Forced Illusion of Normalcy”
  • Political Prisoners and Judicial Harassment
  • Negotiations and “Peace Treaty”
  • Armenia’s Military Capacity
  • What Need to be Done?
  • Thoughts from the Participants

Episode 302 | Recorded: January 14, 2024

Tevan Poghosyan - Crossroads of Peace | Iran | Russia | French Weapons | Artsakh | Ep 301 - January 7, 2023 [EP301]

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, European Union, Russia, Iran, Turkey, China, Middle East, NATO, Ukraine | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Public TV Cancels Catholicos New Year’s Address
  • Governor Hunting Season
  • “Zangezur corridor” redux; “Peace treaty”
  • Thoughts from the Participants
    • Podcasts, labels, and language of division

Episode 301 | Recorded: January 8, 2023

Tevan Poghosyan - Crossroads of Peace | Iran | Russia | French Weapons | Artsakh | Ep 301 - January 7, 2023 [EP301]

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, European Union, Russia, Iran, Turkey, China, Middle East, NATO, Ukraine

Guest:

Topics:

  • Public TV Cancels Catholicos New Year’s Address
  • Governor Hunting Season
  • “Zangezur corridor” redux; “Peace treaty”
  • Thoughts from the Participants
    • Podcasts, labels, and language of division

Episode 301 | Recorded: January 8, 2023

Levon Zourabian - Armenian National Congress | Democracy and Armenia | Negotiations with Azerbaijan | Artsakh | Global Conflicts | Ep 290 - Oct 29, 2023 [EP290]

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Video, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Genocide, Ukraine, Iran, European Union, NATO, Economy, Turkey, China, Georgia | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenian National Congress (ANC)
  • Democracy and Armenia
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia Negotiations
  • Artsakh
  • Global Conflicts - Israel, Ukraine

Episode 290 | Recorded: October 27, 2023

Levon Zourabian - Armenian National Congress | Democracy and Armenia | Negotiations with Azerbaijan | Artsakh | Global Conflicts | Ep 290 - Oct 29, 2023 [EP290]

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Video, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Genocide, Ukraine, Iran, European Union, NATO, Economy, Turkey, China, Georgia

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenian National Congress (ANC)
  • Democracy and Armenia
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia Negotiations
  • Artsakh
  • Global Conflicts - Israel, Ukraine

Episode 290 | Recorded: October 27, 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, 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, Armenia

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

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