Latest news with #KarekinII
Euronews
a day ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Armenian PM says he is not circumcised in ongoing duel with church
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has implied he is willing to have his penis examined to settle an argument that he is uncircumcised amid an ongoing dispute with the head of the country's main church. Pashinyan made the proposal in response to Father Zareh Ashuryan, the spokesperson for the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, who implied that the head of government was circumcised, therefore not a 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," Father Ashuryan said. Pashinyan responded in a post on Facebook, saying he was ready to accept the challenge and prove he had nothing to do with being circumcised, a religious practice not common among Christians in the country. "Let him finally answer the question: did he break the covenant of partisanship or not? Does he have a child or not?" Pashinyan asked in his post, repeating a claim he had made in June in which he accused Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the child. Claims of a coup plot This isn't the first time this week that Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church have gone head to head. On Wednesday, authorities arrested a prominent cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 14 others, charging them with orchestrating an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee said in a statement it had filed criminal charges against the group, which they claim had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power." Galastanyan's lawyer described the charges as "fiction". In total, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot, but only Galastanyan was named publicly. The Investigative Committee said it carried out over 90 searches and recovered evidence that included firearms and ammunition. In a post on Telegram, Pashinyan wrote that authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" aimed at taking control of Armenia. Disclaimer: This article has been updated with further clarifications provided to Euronews by the Office of the Armenian Prime Minister.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Armenia's PM Pashinyan offers to expose himself in escalating Church row
A bitter standoff between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church has seen mass arrests, allegations of a coup plot, and an extraordinary offer by Armenia's leader to reveal his private parts to prove he is a this week, Pashinyan told his 1.1 million followers on Facebook he was prepared to expose himself to the head of the Armenian Church and his spokesman, to prove they were wrong that he had been media became his preferred means of communication after he came to office after Armenia's so-called Velvet Revolution of faces pivotal elections next year and the Church has become a prominent anti-government voice since Armenia was defeated in a 2020 war with neighbouring Azerbaijan. His extraordinary offer last Monday followed a Facebook post by a priest in the southwestern town of Masis who alleged Pashinyan had been circumcised, comparing him to Judas and implying that he was not Christian."I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself," said Father Zareh Ashuryan, "of those false 'believers' who have betrayed the nation, dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, violated the baptism, and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision."The confrontation between Church and state began at the end of May when the prime minister accused the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child, demanding the church leader's Church released a statement accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the media subsequently circulated photos and names of Karekin II's alleged daughter, while Pashinyan established a "co-ordination group" to organise the election of a new Church leader - despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing separation of Church and state. When Karekin II returned from a trip to the UAE last week, hundreds of supporters gathered at Yerevan airport chanting Vehapar (Pontiff).He called for unity and restraint, saying they would "overcome this difficulty" crisis then escalated on Wednesday, when security services detained 16 people, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a senior cleric who leads the opposition Sacred Struggle movement. They face allegations of plotting terrorist acts to seize the others detained are an opposition member, a former MP, a businessman and a Investigative Committee alleges the group planned to establish 250 "assault" groups" of 25 members each to carry out attacks and cause mass disturbances, and that "a large quantity of items and objects intended for criminal activity" were found during the archbishop led major anti-government protests last year and a court has now ruled that he should spend two months in pre-trial detention. He faces charges of planning terrorism and attempting to overthrow the lawyers have dismissed the allegations as "political persecution".The arrests followed the publication of what government-affiliated media claimed was a detailed opposition coup plan, allegedly involving the Church, recently detained Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, and two former presidents - Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Pashinyan shared a montage of the photos of the four men and said that the event would remain history as a "failed revolution of crooks". Samvel Karapetyan, who holds dual Russian and Armenian citizenship, is one of the richest men in Armenia, with an estimated wealth of $4bn (£2.9bn).He owns the Tashir Group, known across Russia for its pizza brand. It is a conglomerate that operates real estate as well as the Electric Networks of Armenia – a major energy distributor in the one of the most prominent benefactors of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the recipient of high Church awards, was arrested after he made a public video pledging his support for the Church."I have always stood with the Armenian Church and the Armenian people. If the politicians do not succeed, we will intervene in our own way in this campaign against the Church," he after the statement, law enforcement officers conducted searches in Karapetyan's mansion, he was arrested and later charged with publicly calling for the seizure of has denied all the charges against spokesman suggested that the billionaire had decided to use a "classic manual received from the north" – a clear reference to prime minister later announced his intention to nationalise Karapetyan's Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) and he told a cabinet meeting on Thursday the government would start taking control of it."We must do this swiftly and effectively," Pashinyan Karapetyan's arrest giant billboards with his photos appeared in Moscow – and Russia's Armenian diaspora expressed support for the foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow was "closely monitoring" the situation around "Russian national Samvel Karapetyan" promising to provide him necessary assistance to ensure that his legal rights were respected.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Armenian PM offers to show penis to church head in ongoing squabble
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has offered to show off his penis to the head of the country's Orthodox Church to settle an argument that he is uncircumcised. Pashinyan made the bizarre proposal in response to Father Zareh Ashuryan, the spokesperson for the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, who implied that the head of government was not a 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," Father Ashuryan said. Pashinyan responded in a post on Facebook, saying he was ready to accept the challenge and prove he had been circumcised, a religious practice common among Christians in the country. "Let him finally answer the question: did he break the covenant of partisanship or not? Does he have a child or not?" Pashinyan asked in his post, repeating a claim he had made in June in which he accused Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the child. Claims of a coup plot This isn't the first time this week that Pashinyan and the Orthodox Church have gone head to head. On Wednesday, authorities arrested a prominent cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 13 others, charging them with orchestrating an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee said in a statement it had filed criminal charges against the group, which they claim had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power." Galastanyan's lawyer described the charges as "fiction". In total, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot, but only Galastanyan was named publicly. The Investigative Committee said it carried out over 90 searches and recovered evidence that included firearms and ammunition. In a post on Telegram, Pashinyan wrote that authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" aimed at taking control of Armenia.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan offers to show head of Church, Karekin II, his penis to prove point
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. 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. 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?'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
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
