Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and ten supporting bishops and archbishops have issued a statement calling for broad support for reforms within the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

Pashinyan read the declaration during a Facebook live broadcast, after which the clerics who endorsed it signed the document.

He announced the creation of a coordinating council tasked with overseeing the church reform process. According to Pashinyan, the council's composition can only be changed through unanimous consent.

The initiators of the statement appealed to both the clergy and faithful of the AAC to back the initiative and actively participate in the reform effort.

Pashinyan outlined a roadmap for the reform, including:

• Publicizing the reform agenda
• Removal of the current de facto leader of the Church
• Organizing the election of a Catholicosal Locum Tenens
• Adoption of a new Church charter
• Election of a new Catholicos of All Armenians

Later, Pashinyan published the written version of the declaration.

He also announced a pilgrimage march scheduled for January 6 at 1:30 p.m., starting from Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and ending at the Holy Mother of God Cathedral.

On the same day, Pashinyan plans to attend the Christmas Divine Liturgy at Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral.

He emphasized that the march will be peaceful.

On December 18, the ten bishops who had met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and called for the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II made a public statement in Etchmiadzin before swiftly departing. Meanwhile, inside the Mother Cathedral, a prayer service was taking place with the Catholicos present.

Karekin II stated: “Today, another attempt was made to assault the Holy Etchmiadzin, unfortunately with the involvement of some of our own clergy. However, our faithful remain steadfast and fearless. The noise being stirred up in the Church will never hinder our mission or the plans aimed at the Church’s radiance and our country’s development.”