Father Psak Mkrtchyan stated that several high-ranking military officers attempted, through psychological pressure, to persuade army chaplains to support the church reform initiative proposed by the prime minister. He made the statement during a broadcast on Shoghakat Television.

“Various high-ranking military officials visited military units and tried, using different methods, to pressure the chaplains. In some places, psychological pressure was applied: they were not allowed to contact their spiritual leader, false information was spread claiming the spiritual leader was aware, though in reality that was not the case,” he said, according to Sputnik Armenia.

Father Psak noted that about a week earlier, chaplains had been invited to the Ministry of Defense under the pretext of discussing the prevention of suicides and self-harm in the armed forces. However, he said the real purpose of the meeting was different.

“The defense minister and the chief of the general staff were also present at that meeting. During the conversation, the chaplains were indirectly asked what their approach was to all this. Our young men responded, of course, in a manner befitting a faithful clergyman. Then, according to information I have, they were summoned one by one and directly asked what their position was and whether they would join the ‘reform’ program or not,” Father Psak said.

By order of the Armenian defense minister, the Spiritual Leadership of the Armed Forces has been dissolved. The priest described this decision as a manifestation of the authorities drawing the army into political processes.

“High-ranking military officials who had other duties were engaged in carrying out this propaganda within the army, especially among the chaplains,” the priest added.

In recent times, reports have circulated repeatedly that some senior representatives of the armed forces exerted pressure on chaplains in an attempt to involve them in the process of joining the council for reforming the Armenian Apostolic Church, the goal of which is the removal of the Catholicos.

The Spiritual Leadership of the Armed Forces of Armenia was established on November 13, 1997, by a joint decision of Catholicos Garegin I and Armenian Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan.