Priest Aram Asatryan Defrocked by Catholicos Karekin II

On October 21, by the patriarchal order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Father Aram Asatryan was declared defrocked.The basis for the order was the report of the Primate of the Aragatsotn Diocese and

the conclusion of the Committee on Awards and Disciplinary Issues of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, stating that Father Aram Asatryan:

a/ Discredited the Armenian Church, the Diocesan Primate, and fellow clergymen through public speeches and statements,

b/ Ignoring the exhortations and instructions of the Diocesan Primate, persisted in a course of misconduct,

c/ Over the last month, arbitrarily omitted the mention of the names of the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Diocesan Primate during liturgies, thereby essentially removing himself from the Church,

d/ Thrice stubbornly refused to appear at the Committee's meetings, bypassing its authority and jurisdiction, and also violated his vow of obedience with his disrespectful behavior.

The defrocked clergyman will henceforth be ranked among the laity with his baptismal name, Stepan Asatryan.