Recently, the press and various individuals have been deliberately circulating the unfounded claim that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has no statute. This is stated in a statement released by the Information System of the Mother See.
“The Armenian Church has been guided for centuries by the canons adopted by church councils and by the Patriarchal canons. Back during the reign of Vazgen I, Catholicos of All Armenians, the Armenian Church began the creation of the Constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the work on which was continued during the reign of His Holiness Karekin I and, to a greater extent, during the reign of the current Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II.
In 2009 and 2014 During the Ecclesiastical-Representative Assemblies (ERMs) convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the statutes of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly (NEA), the Ecclesiastical-Representative Assembly, the Supreme Spiritual Council (SSC), as well as the guidelines for diocesan and parish statutes were approved. These approved and ready statutes are applicable in our church, and their final ratification must also be carried out by the NEA.
Therefore, the unnecessary assertion that the Armenian Church “does not have a statute” has nothing to do with truth and reality. Moreover, the relevant committees created by the direction of His Holiness the Patriarch continue their work in this direction to finalize the Constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the adoption of which will be a truly important and landmark event in the life of our church.
At the same time, we must note with sadness that the work of the committees developing the statutes has been disrupted, as their chairmen are now illegally imprisoned.
Regarding the convening of the AEG Assembly, we consider it necessary to emphasize that it was and is the wish of the Patriarch of All Armenians to convene the AEG every seven years to discuss the problems and challenges facing the Armenian Church, to find solutions to existing issues, and to outline the priorities of our church’s activities. Unfortunately, it was postponed due to the pandemic and the Artsakh war. We hope that an AEG will be held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the near future, which will respond and provide solutions to the problems and concerns raised.”