Karekin II. Nersissian
Karekin II. Nersissian ( Armenian Գարեգին Բ ; born August 21, 1951 in Woskehat , Armenian SSR ) is the incumbent "Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians", that is, of Echmiadzin , in the Armenian Apostolic Church .
Ktritsch (baptismal name) Nersissian ( Armenian Կտրիճ Ներսիսյան ) entered the Etchmiadzin seminary in 1965. In 1970 he was ordained a deacon . With his ordination as a monk priest in 1972 he took the name Karekin. From 1975 he studied at the University of Bonn and headed the Armenian community in Cologne . He completed postgraduate studies at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual Academy in Sagorsk in 1979. Since 1980 he worked in the diocese of Ararat, led by the Catholicos, and was ordained bishop on October 23, 1983 by Katholikos Wasgen I (1956–1994) and appointed patriarchal vicar for the diocese of Ararat. In 1992 he received the title of Archbishop .
On October 27, 1999 he was elected to succeed the Catholicos Karekin I , who died on June 29, 1999 . 455 delegates from the Republic of Armenia and parts of the diaspora came together to vote . Openly supported by the Government of Armenia, Karekin Nersissian received 265 of the votes cast. Consecration and enthronement took place on November 4, 1999.
Karekin II is considered the 132nd Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic (Oriental Orthodox) Church. Another Armenian Apostolic Catholic heads the Catholic of Cilicia .
Criticism and demands for resignation
In February 2015, the International Network of Investigative Journalists presented the “ Swiss Leaks ” project, in which thousands of documents classified as confidential by HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) were published and evaluated by tax authorities in various countries. These revelations revealed that the Armenian Catholicos Karekin II was one of HSBC's customers and had a hidden fortune of $ 1.1 million between 2006 and 2007.
In April 2018, the Velvet Revolution occurred in Armenia , which resulted in the resignation of the newly elected Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan . He had previously held the presidency , which had been abolished in its previous form after the controversial constitutional referendum in 2015. After that, Karekin II came under pressure because of his close ties to the old elites. At the beginning of July, the members of the citizens' movement “New Armenia, New Patriarch” gathered in front of the headquarters of the Etchmiadzin Catholicosate and asked him to resign. Apart from his proximity to the so-called "Sargsyan clan", Karekin II is accused of having sold relics and holy goods.
Web links
- Portrait of the Patriarch , on the site of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian)
- Message from John Paul II to His Holiness Karekin II. Catholicos - Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians
Individual evidence
- ↑ Журналисты рассекретили счет Католикоса всех армян в банке HSBC. February 9, 2015, accessed February 11, 2019 (Russian).
- ^ Süddeutsche.de GmbH, Munich, Germany: Armenia's president lets himself be disempowered by the people . In: Süddeutsche.de . ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed on July 28, 2018]).
- ↑ Судьбу католикоса Гарегина II пытаются решить на митинге . In: ИА REGNUM . ( regnum.ru [accessed July 28, 2018]).
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Karekin I. |
Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1999 |
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nersissian, Karekin II. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nersissian, Krtitsch (real name); Գարեգին Բ (Armenian) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Armenian clergyman, Catholicos of the Armenian-Gregorian Apostle Church |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 21, 1951 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Woskehat , Armenian SSR |