AGBU Urges Continued Church Autonomy and Encourages Reconciliation Dialogue

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The following are statements issued by the AGBU.

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New York, NY, Dec. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Armenian Apostolic Church, as an institution, has sustained the Armenian identity for centuries. Throughout the ages when there was no independent homeland for our people, the Armenian Church was the reason we and our ancestors remained both Christian and Armenian. With the vast majority of Armenians and members of our Church living outside the Republic of Armenia, Armenians look to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin as the spiritual center of our lives. Our Church is not merely a denomination of Christianity; its origins are traced back to St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, two of Christ’s twelve apostles, and ultimately, St. Gregory the Illuminator. Our Church leadership was represented at the First Council of Nicaea, and it has played an important role in Christianity throughout the world ever since.

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Just as importantly, Holy Etchmiadzin, which lies within the borders of the Republic of Armenia but serves the faithful around the world, is independent and must remain so. We believe that while clergy, politicians, and private citizens all have the right to express their own opinions, the actual governance of the Armenian Apostolic Church should be left to the processes established over centuries by our spiritual leaders and their predecessors. 

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Over the years, the Armenian Diaspora has leaned on the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and its successive Catholicoi to provide spiritual leadership and unify our national identity prior to and since the establishment of Armenia’s independence. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is emblematic of this relationship. Since its establishment in 1906 in Cairo, Egypt, AGBU and its members and donors have provided critical support to Armenia and contributed to the homeland in the areas of education, socioeconomic development, culture and — of course — humanitarian support. It has been foundational to the building of essential infrastructure, and the growth and success of key institutions.
  
As members of the AGBU Council of Trustees and Central Board of Directors, representing a broad constituency of Armenians from around the world, we echo the recent thoughtful sentiments of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, and His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Vatican, calling for the unity of all clergy in support of the integrity and autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Mother See, and the respect of the present hierarchy for its self-governance in accordance with its canon laws.

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We are at a critical juncture when current rhetoric regarding the future leadership of the Armenian Church has the potential to divide our faithful around the world. This self-inflicted crisis is impacting the Armenian faithful, while harming the relationship between the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora.

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We write this not to adjudicate the past but to move forward with rapprochement. We recognize that things have been said and actions have been taken — directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally — that have not reflected well on both the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian government. Forgiveness is one of the core teachings of Jesus and of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

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In this spirit, we ask that the lines be clear: that the Republic of Armenia moves forward with its own self-governance in accordance with its constitution and the will of the voting citizenry, and that the Armenian Apostolic Church moves forward with its own governance processes responsible for any future reforms and self-assessment. This would be in the best interest of both the government of Armenia and Armenians worldwide as such restraint would, in fact, strengthen the government’s standing in the eyes of the international community by demonstrating the government’s respect for the Church’s independence. We have already appealed to the highest levels of the clergy worldwide to draw a line between spiritual leadership and political activities. We now appeal to the Armenian government to respect the self-governance and autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

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Reflecting AGBU’s belief that in unity is strength, and with our genuine respect for both institutions that are vital to our global nation continuing to prosper, we welcome the opportunity to facilitate constructive conversations between them. The hour is not too late for reconciliation.

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