Armenian Church hails CSI’s advocacy in time of need

Official portrait of Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church

YEREVAN / ZURICH – The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has conveyed gratitude and blessings to CSI International President Dr. John Eibner and colleagues for their work in defending the autonomy of the 1,700-year-old religious institution.

“We deeply appreciate the principled and courageous manner in which CSI has addressed the serious concerns surrounding the autonomy and self-governance of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church,” Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian in a letter sent on behalf of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on October 7.

“At a time when the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and our clergy are facing significant challenges, your decision to speak publicly and clearly in defense of these fundamental principles is deeply meaningful to us.”

The letter specifically thanked CSI for its statement following a report released in late September by the PR office of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which alleged a “crisis” in the Church and laid out a government plan to “resolve” it.

Christian Solidarity International rejected that document it in its entirety, further calling on the Pashinyan administration to cease its more than year-long campaign of interference in the Church’s guaranteed autonomy.

Archbishop Hovhannisian also hailed the CSI-authored report, ‘A Church Under Siege: Armenia’s Unlawful Campaign to Silence the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church’.

Published in August, that report highlighted not only the systematic persecution faced by the Church but the importance of this institution in preserving Armenian nationhood against ongoing genocidal threats from Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Such advocacy, Archbishop Hovhannisian wrote, “serves as an important reminder that the protection of religious freedom and Church autonomy is not merely an internal ecclesiastical matter, but a matter of fundamental human rights and the rule of law.”

Plight of Artsakh people

The letter further thanked Christian Solidarity International for standing with the Armenian people, and especially for its attention to the plight of the displaced people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Azerbaijan attacked the historic Christian Armenian territory in 2023 following a nine-month siege, forcing an entire population of 120,000 people to leave behind their homes, churches, and cemeteries.

“Your work has consistently reflected a commitment to human dignity, justice, and the protection of communities whose rights and freedoms are under threat,” Archbishop Hovannisian said.

The letter concluded with prayers and blessings for CSI’s “God-pleasing mission”, in the hope that its continued efforts may contribute to justice, peace and dignity for all.

‘We will continue’

Dr. Eibner assured Archbishop Hovhannisian of CSI’s enduring commitment to this mission in a response letter on October 12.

“It is a privilege and an honor to stand in solidarity with the Armenian Apostolic Church as it withstands the assaults of hostile powers and principalities,” said Dr. Eibner in a response to Archbishop Hovhannisian.

“CSI has done so over the past half century, from the time of communist persecution, through the various stages of the ethno-religious cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh, and into the present political crisis,” he said.

“We will continue to do so.”

Eibner further pledged to pass along His Holiness’ blessings and message of gratitude to CSI’s active supporters, “committed Christians from various traditions who believe in religious freedom and will be uplifted by it.”

“Few have any direct connection with Armenia or the Armenian Apostolic Church. But they sense the reality of the mystical Body of Christ and of the Biblical truth that “when one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it”. (I Cor. 12: 26)

Swiss peace

Armenia’s national church has been facing an aggressive campaign of persecution by the government of Armenia since May 2025, following a landmark speech by Catholicos Karekin II in Bern, Switzerland.

There, His Holiness spoke out against Azerbaijan’s ongoing destruction of Armenian spiritual heritage in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and urged for the facilitation of a dignified right of return to the historic Christian Armenian population to their homeland.

The highlighting of the realities beneath the surface of the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process, and the call for the implementation of the International Court of Justice order that the people of Artsakh be allowed to return, set off anger in not only Baku but Yerevan.

Prime Minister Pashinyan since then has unleashed continued attacks on the Church leadership, imprisoning bishops, slapping travel bans on its Supreme Spiritual Council, and taking the Catholicos to court, in an effort to seize control of the institution.

A government manifesto, released in August, calls for the removal of the Catholicos.

Below is the full text of the letter sent from Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian on behalf of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II to Dr. John Eibner, International President of Christian Solidarity International:

October 7, 2026
Holy Etchmiadzin

Dr. John Eibner
President
Christian Solidarity International

Dear Dr. Eibner and Colleagues at Christian Solidarity International,

It is my privilege to convey to you and to the entire team of Christan Solidarity International the sincere gratitude, appreciation, and blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, for your recent Statement concerning the Government of Armenia’s “Report on the Crisis in the Church,” as well as for your report, “A Church Under Siege: Armenia’s Unlawful Campaign to Silence the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.”

We deeply appreciate the principled and courageous manner in which CSI has addressed the serious concerns surrounding the autonomy and self-governance of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

Your statement demonstrates a clear understanding of the fundamental importance of religious freedom, the independence of the Church, and the respect due to the canonical and spiritual life of the Armenian Church.

At a time when the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and our clergy are facing significant challenges, your decision to speak publicly and clearly in defense of these fundamental principles is deeply meaningful to us.

Your statement also serves as an important reminder that the protection of religious freedom and Church autonomy is not merely an internal ecclesiastical matter, but a matter of fundamental human rights and the rule of law.

We are particularly grateful for CSI’s longstanding commitment to standing with the Armenian people and for your continued attention to the plight of the people of Artsakh and the challenges faced by displaced Armenian families.

Your work has consistently reflected a commitment to human dignity, justice, and the protection of communities whose rights and freedoms are under threat.

Please convey our heartfelt appreciation to all members of the CSI team, particularly to Joel Veldkamp and Peter Flew, who contributed to this important statement and to your broader efforts on behalf of religious freedom and human dignity.

We value deeply the solidarity and friendship that CSI has demonstrated toward the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the Armenian people.

May God bless you, your colleagues, and your God-pleasing mission. We pray that your continued efforts may contribute to the protection of religious freedom, justice, peace, and the dignity of every human person.

With profound gratitude and every blessing,

Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian

Department of External Relations
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Republic of Armenia