Cleric Taron Hunanyan of Tavush Diocese declared defrocked

ArmInfo. Taron Hunanyan, a cleric of the Tavush Diocese, has been declared defrocked, according to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Earlier, Hunanyan supported the defrocking of Stepan Asatryan and attended the liturgy at Hovhannavank Monastery.

Hunanyan was defrocked on November 6 based on a report by the locum  tenens of the Tavush Diocese and the conclusion of  the Mother See's  Committee on Awards and Disciplinary Matters.

According to these documents, Hunanyan:  1.   Voluntarily left his  service post since May 2024, 2.   Ignored the instructions and  exhortations of the locum tenens of the Diocese of Tavush and  persisted in disobedient behavior, 3.   Participated in the  uncanonical ceremony organized by the previously defrocked Stepan  Asatryan, thereby becoming an accomplice to the defrocked priest, 4.    Discredited the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and fellow clergy  through public statements and declarations, 5.   Exhibited  disrespectful conduct toward the highest ecclesiastical authority and  violated his oath of obedience.  The defrocked cleric will henceforth  be considered a layperson under the name "Vardan Hunanyan."

Father Taron Hunanyan was invited to the Mother See Monastery on  November 4 to participate in a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee  where his case was to be considered. Father Taron Hunanyan arrived at  the Mother See Monastery, but later, in a conversation with  journalists, stated that he refused to participate in the discussion  of his case. He justified his decision by pointing out the  composition of the Committee that was supposed to review his case. He  argued that disciplinary matters should have been discussed by the  Committee first,  before affecting him personally.