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.
JD Vance in Armenia and Azerbaijan | Ep 517, Feb 15, 2026 [EP517]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Russia, Genocide, Georgia, Israel, China, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Vance visit, protocol and optics
- Tsitsernakaberd tweet, âautocorrect diplomacyâ
- TRIPP corridor stake and sovereignty risks
- Nuclear SMR deal, costs and dependency
- Firebird AI project, power and value
- Drones, church silence, Baku charter and prisoners
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
JD Vance in Armenia and Azerbaijan | Ep 517, Feb 15, 2026 [EP517]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Russia, Genocide, Georgia, Israel, China, UkraineGroong Links:
Topics:
- Vance visit, protocol and optics
- Tsitsernakaberd tweet, âautocorrect diplomacyâ
- TRIPP corridor stake and sovereignty risks
- Nuclear SMR deal, costs and dependency
- Firebird AI project, power and value
- Drones, church silence, Baku charter and prisoners
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
Joel Veldkamp - Christian Solidarity International Visits Armenian Bishops in Jail | Ep 513, Feb 4, 2026 [EP513]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO, Iran | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- CSI Visits Jailed Cleric
- IRF Summit
- PACE MP Speaks Up
Episode 513 | Recorded: February 3, 2026
#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #IRFSummit2026 #ChristianSolidarityInternational
Joel Veldkamp - Christian Solidarity International Visits Armenian Bishops in Jail | Ep 513, Feb 4, 2026 [EP513]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO, IranGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- CSI Visits Jailed Cleric
- IRF Summit
- PACE MP Speaks Up
Episode 513 | Recorded: February 3, 2026
#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #IRFSummit2026 #ChristianSolidarityInternational
Asbed & Hovik - Iran, Varchaband, War on Church, Mehmet Oz, Strong Armenia, Noragyugh | Ep 512, Feb 1, 2026 [EP512]
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, BRICS, Russia, Turkey, China, India, Ukraine | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Iran Conflict
- Varchaband
- War on Armenian Church
- Mehmet Oz vs Armenian Americans
- Narek Karapetyan and Strong Armenia
- A Big Beautiful Noragyugh
Episode 512 | Recorded: February 2, 2026
#IranIsraelWar #TrumpArmada #ArmenianChurch #Pashinyan #ArmenianDiaspora
Asbed & Hovik - Iran, Varchaband, War on Church, Mehmet Oz, Strong Armenia, Noragyugh | Ep 512, Feb 1, 2026 [EP512]
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, BRICS, Russia, Turkey, China, India, UkraineGroong Links:
Topics:
- Iran Conflict
- Varchaband
- War on Armenian Church
- Mehmet Oz vs Armenian Americans
- Narek Karapetyan and Strong Armenia
- A Big Beautiful Noragyugh
Episode 512 | Recorded: February 2, 2026
#IranIsraelWar #TrumpArmada #ArmenianChurch #Pashinyan #ArmenianDiaspora
Arthur Khachatryan - Army Day, JD Vance to Armenia, TRIPP, Church, Strong Armenia Political Party | Ep 510, Jan 27, 2026 [EP510]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Memorial Day vs. Army Day
- JD Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Armenian Church Developments
- Strong Armenia - New Political Party
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Arthur Khachatryan - Army Day, JD Vance to Armenia, TRIPP, Church, Strong Armenia Political Party | Ep 510, Jan 27, 2026 [EP510]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Human Rights, SyriaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Memorial Day vs. Army Day
- JD Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Armenian Church Developments
- Strong Armenia - New Political Party
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia’s Political Crisis | Ep 507, Jan 17, 2026 [EP507]
Posted on Saturday, Jan 17, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Elections, Politics, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, European Union, Economy, Syria, Human Rights, Georgia, Israel, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Return of Four Hostages
- Pashinyan vs. Church
- TRIPP
- Armenia Parliamentary Election
Episode 507 | Recorded: January 16, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #ArmenianChurch #POWs