The trial of the former head of the Masyatsotn Diocese, declared ex-bishop Arman Saroyan, against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church began in the Armavir Regional Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan.
A lawyer representing the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ara Zohrabyan, stated that former bishop Arman Saroyan conducted banking transactions from the Masyatsotn Diocese’s accounts and did so based on a court decision.
“This will lead to very serious problems. We are now asking you to withdraw the security for this lawsuit. If the court, for some reason, and we know why…,” Zohrabyan noted.
Judge Hovhannisyan interrupted him, asking for the precise reason.
Zohrabyan emphasized that, although they weren’t challenging his decision, they had reasonable suspicions that the judge was not acting of his own free will.
“We have such doubts because, if you had acted of your own free will, you would not have accepted the lawsuit, as there can be no judicial oversight of the activities of the Catholicos of All Armenians,” the representative of the Holy See emphasized.
According to Zohrabyan, the law closes the door to the judge’s involvement in church life.
“You opened the door, you accomplished something historic. Rest assured that in the future, what you did will be the subject of historical debate. You made a historic mistake,” Zohrabyan noted, and the judge hinted that this would become clear later.
The court’s decision to lift the security measure in the lawsuit will be published on February 11.
Gevorg Saroyan, who joined the campaign against the Church and was branded a traitor, filed a lawsuit against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. In his lawsuit, Saroyan demanded that the papal decree of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, removing him from his position as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese be declared invalid and, consequently, that he be reinstated as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese.
On the same day, Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan of the Armavir Regional Court also ruled to reinstate Gevorg Saroyan as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese. Saroyan filed a motion for injunctive relief. According to this motion, the papal decree removing him from his position as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese caused Arman Saroyan moral suffering.
As a reminder, six bishops and one priest of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin were found guilty of obstructing the execution of a court order requiring the reinstatement of Arman Saroyan as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese.
The investigative commission summoned the following bishops: Makar, Hovnan, Nathan, Haykazu, Mushegh, and Vahan, as well as Father Movses. A ban on absence was imposed as a preventive measure against them.
On January 27, a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, chaired by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. During the meeting, the Supreme Spiritual Council proposed to the Catholicos of All Armenians that Bishop Gevorg Saroyan be declared deposed. The See later issued a statement declaring that Bishop Gevorg Saroyan had been deposed by papal decree.
Previously, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, by decree of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the Primate of the Masiatsotn Diocese, His Eminence Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, was removed from his position as Primate of the Diocese. The grounds for the removal were abuse of office, failure to fulfill his duties, and the use of coercion and pressure against the clergy of the diocese.
By decree of the Patriarch, His Eminence Bishop Ruben Zargaryan was appointed Vicar of the Masiatsotn Diocese.