Armenian premier to attend liturgy at Holy James Church in village of  Ararat on Nov. 23

ArmInfo.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will participate in the Holy and Immortal Liturgy on November 23, celebrated by Priest Yervand Babayan at the Church of St. Hakob in the village of Ararat in the Ararat region. Pashinyan announced this on his social media page, posting a video message.

Since May 29, when Pashinyan compared Armenian churches to closets at  a government meeting, and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, called clergy the  country's main pedophiles, the head of the Armenian cabinet has been  raising the issue of celibacy among the clergy of the Armenian  Apostolic Church. He claims to have evidence of celibacy violations  by a number of clergy, including Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin  II, who, in his opinion, should resign. He promises to provide  evidence if the latter decide to challenge his accusations in court.

For now, he has decided to create a special coordination group to  remove the Catholicos and participates in liturgies celebrated by the  defrocked clergy. According to him, these liturgies are part of the  program "to liberate the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and renew the  Armenian Apostolic Church."