The Church Did Not Consider It Appropriate to Visit Tsitsernakaberd with the Prime Minister: Shirak Diocese Leader

The Prime Minister of Armenia and His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to the Victims of the Genocide separately on April 24 of this year. There have been active discussions in society regarding this topic.

In an interview with ArmDaily.am, the leader of the Shirak Diocese, Mikael Ajapahyan, mentioned that during the Soviet era, spiritual and political authorities also visited Tsitsernakaberd separately. He noted that, regarding this incident, it is the first time since the establishment of the Third Republic that the spiritual authority has honored the memory of the genocide victims separately from the secular leaders.

Commenting on the separate visits of the Catholicos and the Prime Minister on April 24, the Bishop stated, “The Church did not find it appropriate and went separately. That is all I know; I cannot provide further details.”