After the April change of power, the role of the church in the life of the state and society has also changed, and if we try to formulate the situation more correctly, the role of the church became vague.

During the years of RPA’s power, the government tried to use the traditional authority of the church to raise its own legitimacy. The church enjoyed tax privileges, participated in state ceremonies, had an infinite opportunity to use broadcasting channels for serving its propaganda; high-ranking clergymen had diplomatic passports, and high-ranking officials, i.e. prime ministers, ministers of Defense, prosecutors, police chiefs and others dressed as deacons were participating in church rituals on the altars.

This series of privileges can be long listed. If we formulate it briefly, we can say that the church and the state were intertwined, and the clergy actually turned into state officials and had immunity. This status made a false impression on the clergy that they have an excellent reputation among the population. After the change of power it turned out that they did not have any reputation and public influence at all.

When dozens of activists of the “New Armenia, New Catholicos” movement besieged the Mother See, even entered Divanatun (the chancellery), it turned out that the church had no defenders, and believers were indifferent to their spiritual leaders. It was a moment of sincerity and an exceptional opportunity to face the reality.

It became apparent that if the state, and especially the law enforcement authorities, do not protect the security of the church and the clergymen, they become unprotected. It is clear that the real defenders of the church should be believers — the “flock”. However, the “flock” was indifferent to those events.

The Echmiadzin monks often mentioned in their private conversations that the Soviet generation grew up in atheism and was essentially a lost generation for the Church, but they are preparing to bring up a new generation that would be educated on Christian and Church values through the “History of the Armenian Church” school subject, Church Youth Centers (Hayordyats toun), televised propaganda. After the April change of power, they received the most brutal blow from the generation who were brought up with their values.

This is the moment when the members of the Echmiadzin monks have to make sense of their past, present and try to find out why their “flock” has turned their back on them.