"The judge who sentences the Catholicos will be anathematized”

“The authorities are using all administrative resources to discredit the clergy for political purposes, inciting intolerance toward the Church within society, and resorting to slander and outright lies. They know perfectly well that the more brazen the lie, the easier is to make it believable. 

From a government that openly deceives the people, places itself above the law, undermines justice, and arrests clergy and national benefactors on fabricated charges, anything can be expected. It is possible that the authorities will go even further to achieve their aims. However, I cannot believe that there will be an Armenian judge who would pass sentence on the Catholicos of All Armenians. Such a person would be anathematized, and the people would curse his entire family,” Yezras Nersissian said in an interview with TASS.

He added that the Church is ready to convene a national church council, provided that the Armenian authorities adhere to constitutional and canonical principles.