Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has escalated the conflict with the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) by proposing to remove its head, Catholicos Karekin II. His proposed plan envisages temporarily replacing the Catholicos with a married priest who would be deprived of the opportunity to apply for a permanent post.

Pashinyan justified these measures by the need to adopt a new church charter establishing uniform rules and procedures for vetting candidates for leadership positions. He emphasized that the goal of the reform is the spiritual renewal and modernization of the AAC, and not interference in its internal affairs.

Earlier, the Armenian Prime Minister said that he would personally lead the liberation of the church from the “antichrist group.”

"In addition to all the disputes, the most important thing was revealed at this time: the complete absence of any connection or relationship between Nersisyan (Garegin II), Galstanyan, Ajapakhyan and others with Jesus Christ and his teachings. The House of Jesus Christ, the place of the descent of the Only Begotten Son, has been captured by an anti-Christ, dogmatic, anti-national, anti-state group and must be liberated. I will lead this liberation," Pashinyan wrote on social networks.

The Armenian leader also claimed that the current Catholicos is an agent of Moscow.