Across the world, including in Ukraine and Europe, commemorating the victims of Stalin's deportation of Chechens and Ingush people are currently taking place.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his dissatisfaction with the country's church's transformation into a political party. He noted the lack of spiritual sermons in regular churches, claiming that priests instead read political texts, which he considered unacceptable.
Pashinyan also commented on an incident in which the current church leader, upon arriving at the airport, inquired about the absence of people at a meeting, which, according to the Prime Minister, is a consequence of the church's distancing itself from the people.
"The church has been turned into a political party, which is absolutely unacceptable and unacceptable. I was shown the current church leader coming out at the airport and asking, 'Where are the people?' But there are no people. There are no people because he wasn't with the people, because he alienated them from the church," Pashinyan noted.
In late November, bishops in Armenia issued a statement addressed to Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, demanding his dismissal. Nikol Pashinyan had previously claimed that the current Catholicos was planning a military coup in the country. In early July, the head of state publicly appealed to the clergy, demanding that Garegin II be removed from office. The prime minister accused him and the Armenian clergy of working for Russia.