World leader's shock offer to show penis to head of Church
A world leader has made a highly unorthodox offer to prove a point — freeing his manhood from his pants in front of the Church.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the unusual gesture to Karekin II after a priest accused him of being circumcised.
Father Zareh Ashuryan accused Mr Pashinyan of being circumcised in a Facebook post on Monday, comparing him to Judas and implying that he was not Christian.
'I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision,' he wrote. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Credit: Supplied
Mr Pashinyan responded in a social media post on Tuesday, addressing Karekin II by his birth name and saying he was 'ready to accept Ktrij Nersisyan and his spokesperson (Father Ashuryan) and prove the opposite' about being circumcised.
It is the latest salvo in the stoush between the Armenian Government and the country's Church. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022. Credit: Vyacheslav Prokofyev / AP
Tensions reached a high in May when Mr Pashinyan accused of Karekin II of having a child and claimed that churches had become 'storerooms' and clergymen were breaking their vows of celibacy.
As well as offering to prove he was circumcised by showing his penis, Mr Pashinyan on Tuesday also reiterated his question to Karekin II: 'And let him finally answer the question of whether he has broken his vow of celibacy or not. Does he have a child or not?' Karekin II, right, with Pope John Paul II in 2001. Credit: PAOLO COCCO / AP
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