Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians has departed for a one-day visit to the United Arab Emirates to discuss educational and community matters.

According to the Information Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Catholicos is scheduled to meet with trustees of the Holy Nazareth Church in Kolkata and the Armenian Philanthropic Academy. Discussions will focus on issues related to the operations of the seminary and the life of the local Armenian community.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that "the Armenian Apostolic Church should have a newly elected Catholicos," urging followers to unite “to liberate the Catholicosate with love and Christian spirit and to elect a truly sacred spiritual leader.” He wrote this on Facebook.

"Karekin II has violated his vow of celibacy and has a child. This is a fact, and if he attempts to deny it, I will prove it in the appropriate format. Therefore, he could not have been a bishop, archbishop, or Catholicos. Ktrich Nersisyan must vacate the Catholicosate."