News - Archbishop Galstanyan to retain his spiritual rank in Armenian Apostolic Church

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Tavush for the Homeland movement and Primate of the Diocese of Tavush of the Armenian Apostolic Church, will retain his spiritual rank, even though he has suspended his spiritual service. Archbishop Galstanyan told this to reporters Monday. To a reporter's question as to whether it turns out that he combines spiritual service and politics, Galstanyan emphasized that it is not politics, but rather national-liberation. "I am no longer in the Diocese of Tavush, but I remain an archbishop. I am not retired, my rank has not been taken. I'm not defrocked," he said. Archbishop Galstanyan is the aforesaid movement’s candidate for prime minister of the transitional government of Armenia. In this connection, he has asked the Catholicos of All Armenians to freeze his 30-year spiritual service. The protests in Armenia, and led by the Tavush for the Homeland movement, started after it became known on April 19 that Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to start border delimitation at Tavush Province of Armenia. Leading a respective march of protest from Tavush to Yerevan on May 9, Archbishop Galstanyan called on PM Nikol Pashinyan to resign.