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Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cathcil.org/
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm
THE CHAMPION OF LOYALTY: ARCHBISHOP GHEVONT CHEBEYAN
(ON THE SAD OCCASION OF HIS DEATH)
By V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the House of Cilicia and the Brotherhood
of the Cilician See witnessed during the last couple of years the passing
away of senior generation Brotherhood members and shared with all Armenians
the pain of irrevocable losses of the Armenian Church.
Having completed 95 long years of his God-given life, the oldest Archbishop
of the Armenian Church and the oldest Brotherhood member of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyan, today follows the
untimely loss of Archbishops Sahag, Mesrob, Zareh and Vartan.
The wind blown at 4 AM in the morning by the rainy, foggy, cold weather of
March 9, 2006 brought down this leaf too from the centuries old Cilician oak
in the ordinary course of paving the way for new leaves and branches.
The name of Archbishop Ghevont was widely spread in the contemporary history
of the Cilician See both through the press and the spoken word as a synonym
of a pole on the strength and loyalty of which our Holy See depended at a
moment when many of the poles of the Cilician Brotherhood collapsed.
The shameful days of the national-ecclesiastical conflict; those days that
are now forever past us; those days the remembering of which is considered a
deadly sin needed determined and loyal brotherhood members. One of the three
Bishops left in the Bishops' rank along with Zareh Payaslian and Khoren
Paroyan was Archbishop Ghevont. These three became the champions of the Holy
See's prevalence.
Conscious of his role, Archbishop Ghevont found pleasure, far less than
boredom in speaking about past happenings and valuable archival information;
information that concerned the unbreakable unity of the Armenian Church and
the Cilician See's vision of independence. In this respect, Archbishop
became a walking book rich with stories of the past
Archbishop Ghevont set foot into the Catholicosate of Cilicia following the
first few months of its relocation from Sis to Antelias. The Archbishop
entered the orphanage like building of the Catholicosate at the time as a
student of the newly established Antelias Seminary during the tenure of the
late Catholicos Sahag II Khabayian. The Archbishop had Catholicos Papken I
as his teacher. He was ordained a monk by Catholicos Bedros I Saradjian and
started his spiritual's pilgrimage in the thorny path of the Armenian
Church.
Deacon, Priest, Vartabed, Supreme Varatabed and Dean of the Seminary;
Archbishop Ghevont climbed with dedicated service, always loyal to the Holy
See and conscious of his spiritual calling.
The posts of primates took him to various geographical corners
differentiated by different social circumstances. The Archbishop traveled
from the post of the Primate of Cyprus to the Prelacy of Aleppo and then to
the post of the Primate of New Julfa (Isfahan) always with the same humility
and commitment.
Fastidiousness was a healthy character trait for Archbishop Ghevont. He was
not only fastidious about the church services but also in his everyday life.
He not only personally prepared for Holy Mass through prayer and fast, but
also prepared guidelines on papers in order to prevent the occurrence of
ritual mistakes and the disturbance of the service's atmosphere as a
consequence. It is the same fastidiousness that led him to publish, in his
old age, a book entitled "Ritual Knowledge" as a guideline for all clergy
and all those related to the church life.
The same fastidiousness also reflected on the Archbishop's daily life. His
love for rules and regulations, his punctuality, cleanliness despite his old
age, all-curing joyfulness and most of all his loyalty to the Holy See and
its spiritual Head were more than educational for us, the young members of
the brotherhood.
His deep respect towards His Holiness Aram I, born on the same year of his
consecration as a bishop (1947), is life's biggest lesson for each
individual enlisted in a Brotherhood both in the Armenian Church and
generally. Is it possible to forget Archbishop Ghevont's warm wishes and
feelings of gratitude expressed for the Catholicoses of the House of Cilicia
during the most pleasant moments of the Brotherhood life; those which he
considered his right to express as the Brotherhood's senior member?
For the late Archbishop loyalty became a principle that accompanied him to
his deathbed; loyalty towards the principles of the Armenian Church and the
Catholicosate of Cilicia. Retired in Antelias since the 1970s, the
Archbishop contributed to the Holy See's mission as much as his age and
strength permitted him to. Through his professorship in the Seminary and
combining his years of experience to his rich ritual knowledge, Archbishop
Ghevont became an authority with the gauze of humility and naivety.
This authority, however, flowed more from his conscious and self-sacrificing
loyalty towards the Holy See than from his knowledge of rituals. His name,
ridiculed by the press and otherwise due to his loyalty, formed the wreath
of glory around his aged head with the same loyalty, turning him into the
Cilician See's Champion of Loyalty for all times to come.
A sweet, childish smile was seen on his face when he remembered the words of
the song dedicated to his name during the days of the conflict: "Archbishop
Ghevont, your cross a guardian; you will become oh father, the protector of
Cilicia." Having turned loyalty into a principle, Archbishop Ghevont
remained committed to it till his old age, till his deathbed. After being
transferred to the hospital or a sanatorium because of ill health, he always
wanted to return home to the Catholicosate, in order to be surrounded by his
family, the Brotherhood members.
The sense of belonging kept him on the land of Antelias for seven continuous
decades. And now, the "Zarehian Tomb" built under the shadow of the Mother
Cathedral, will welcome his corpse as well, to join him to the unforgettable
memory of his spiritual brothers, Catholicoses Zareh and Khoren.
May the remains of the Champion of Loyalty and his kind soul rest in peace.
##
View the Archbishop's photo taken early this year, during the Brotherhood
Meeting in Antelias: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/Pictures19.h tm#3
Extreme Unction and Funeral photos of the late Archbishop:
http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/ Pictures21.htm
http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Pho tos/Pictures22.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cathcil.org/
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm
THE CHAMPION OF LOYALTY: ARCHBISHOP GHEVONT CHEBEYAN
(ON THE SAD OCCASION OF HIS DEATH)
By V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the House of Cilicia and the Brotherhood
of the Cilician See witnessed during the last couple of years the passing
away of senior generation Brotherhood members and shared with all Armenians
the pain of irrevocable losses of the Armenian Church.
Having completed 95 long years of his God-given life, the oldest Archbishop
of the Armenian Church and the oldest Brotherhood member of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyan, today follows the
untimely loss of Archbishops Sahag, Mesrob, Zareh and Vartan.
The wind blown at 4 AM in the morning by the rainy, foggy, cold weather of
March 9, 2006 brought down this leaf too from the centuries old Cilician oak
in the ordinary course of paving the way for new leaves and branches.
The name of Archbishop Ghevont was widely spread in the contemporary history
of the Cilician See both through the press and the spoken word as a synonym
of a pole on the strength and loyalty of which our Holy See depended at a
moment when many of the poles of the Cilician Brotherhood collapsed.
The shameful days of the national-ecclesiastical conflict; those days that
are now forever past us; those days the remembering of which is considered a
deadly sin needed determined and loyal brotherhood members. One of the three
Bishops left in the Bishops' rank along with Zareh Payaslian and Khoren
Paroyan was Archbishop Ghevont. These three became the champions of the Holy
See's prevalence.
Conscious of his role, Archbishop Ghevont found pleasure, far less than
boredom in speaking about past happenings and valuable archival information;
information that concerned the unbreakable unity of the Armenian Church and
the Cilician See's vision of independence. In this respect, Archbishop
became a walking book rich with stories of the past
Archbishop Ghevont set foot into the Catholicosate of Cilicia following the
first few months of its relocation from Sis to Antelias. The Archbishop
entered the orphanage like building of the Catholicosate at the time as a
student of the newly established Antelias Seminary during the tenure of the
late Catholicos Sahag II Khabayian. The Archbishop had Catholicos Papken I
as his teacher. He was ordained a monk by Catholicos Bedros I Saradjian and
started his spiritual's pilgrimage in the thorny path of the Armenian
Church.
Deacon, Priest, Vartabed, Supreme Varatabed and Dean of the Seminary;
Archbishop Ghevont climbed with dedicated service, always loyal to the Holy
See and conscious of his spiritual calling.
The posts of primates took him to various geographical corners
differentiated by different social circumstances. The Archbishop traveled
from the post of the Primate of Cyprus to the Prelacy of Aleppo and then to
the post of the Primate of New Julfa (Isfahan) always with the same humility
and commitment.
Fastidiousness was a healthy character trait for Archbishop Ghevont. He was
not only fastidious about the church services but also in his everyday life.
He not only personally prepared for Holy Mass through prayer and fast, but
also prepared guidelines on papers in order to prevent the occurrence of
ritual mistakes and the disturbance of the service's atmosphere as a
consequence. It is the same fastidiousness that led him to publish, in his
old age, a book entitled "Ritual Knowledge" as a guideline for all clergy
and all those related to the church life.
The same fastidiousness also reflected on the Archbishop's daily life. His
love for rules and regulations, his punctuality, cleanliness despite his old
age, all-curing joyfulness and most of all his loyalty to the Holy See and
its spiritual Head were more than educational for us, the young members of
the brotherhood.
His deep respect towards His Holiness Aram I, born on the same year of his
consecration as a bishop (1947), is life's biggest lesson for each
individual enlisted in a Brotherhood both in the Armenian Church and
generally. Is it possible to forget Archbishop Ghevont's warm wishes and
feelings of gratitude expressed for the Catholicoses of the House of Cilicia
during the most pleasant moments of the Brotherhood life; those which he
considered his right to express as the Brotherhood's senior member?
For the late Archbishop loyalty became a principle that accompanied him to
his deathbed; loyalty towards the principles of the Armenian Church and the
Catholicosate of Cilicia. Retired in Antelias since the 1970s, the
Archbishop contributed to the Holy See's mission as much as his age and
strength permitted him to. Through his professorship in the Seminary and
combining his years of experience to his rich ritual knowledge, Archbishop
Ghevont became an authority with the gauze of humility and naivety.
This authority, however, flowed more from his conscious and self-sacrificing
loyalty towards the Holy See than from his knowledge of rituals. His name,
ridiculed by the press and otherwise due to his loyalty, formed the wreath
of glory around his aged head with the same loyalty, turning him into the
Cilician See's Champion of Loyalty for all times to come.
A sweet, childish smile was seen on his face when he remembered the words of
the song dedicated to his name during the days of the conflict: "Archbishop
Ghevont, your cross a guardian; you will become oh father, the protector of
Cilicia." Having turned loyalty into a principle, Archbishop Ghevont
remained committed to it till his old age, till his deathbed. After being
transferred to the hospital or a sanatorium because of ill health, he always
wanted to return home to the Catholicosate, in order to be surrounded by his
family, the Brotherhood members.
The sense of belonging kept him on the land of Antelias for seven continuous
decades. And now, the "Zarehian Tomb" built under the shadow of the Mother
Cathedral, will welcome his corpse as well, to join him to the unforgettable
memory of his spiritual brothers, Catholicoses Zareh and Khoren.
May the remains of the Champion of Loyalty and his kind soul rest in peace.
##
View the Archbishop's photo taken early this year, during the Brotherhood
Meeting in Antelias: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/Pictures19.h tm#3
Extreme Unction and Funeral photos of the late Archbishop:
http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/ Pictures21.htm
http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Pho tos/Pictures22.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.