Father Armen Melkonyan Declared Defrocked
17.03.2025
On March 17, the Patriarchal decree of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, defrocked Father Armen Melkonyan.
The decision was based on reports from His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Parsamyan, the Patriarchal Delegate to Western Europe, and His Grace Bishop Datev Hakobyan, Locum Tenens of the Armenian Diocese of Bulgaria, as well as the conclusions of the Committee for Ecclesial Awards and Disciplinary Issues regarding Father Armen’s misconduct and anti-canonical actions.
The defrocked cleric will henceforth be considered a layperson, bearing the name Sargis Melkonyan.
