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Garegin II132nd, current Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, First Hierarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Date of Birth: 21.08.1951
Country:  Armenia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Ecclesiastical Career
- Principal Vicar
- Election as Catholicos
- Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
- Current Status
Early Life and Education
Garegin II, the 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II was born on August 21, 1951, in the village of Voskehat, Echmiadzin District, Armenian SSR. In 1965, he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary in Echmiadzin, graduating in 1971. He continued as a teacher at the seminary.
Ecclesiastical Career
In 1970, Garegin was ordained a deacon, and two years later, a priest. Under the guidance of Patriarch and Catholicos Vazgen I, he traveled to Vienna to further his theological education. He then proceeded to study at the University of Bonn in Germany in 1975. Subsequently, he studied at the University of Vienna and Moscow Theological Academy.
Principal Vicar
In March 1980, Garegin became the Principal Vicar of the Catholicos of All Armenians, a position he held until 1999.
Election as Catholicos
On October 27, 1999, following the death of Catholicos Garegin I, the National Ecclesiastical Assembly elected Garegin Nersesyan as the 132nd Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
In May 2008, while visiting the Vatican, Garegin II called upon all nations to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.
Current Status
Garegin II is a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council. He continues to lead the Armenian Apostolic Church, presiding over its governance and providing guidance to its flock.
