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ARMENIANS MULL ELECTING A NEW PATRIARCH
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Oct 21 2014
Daily Sabah
ISTANBUL -- The lengthy absence of Mesrob Mutafyan, the Armenian
Orthodox Patriarch in Turkey, due to his illness, has fueled a debate
in the country's Armenian religious community regarding whether the
patriarch should be replaced with a successor.
Since Mutafyan, officially known as Mesrob II, began suffering from
dementia in 2008, Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan has been serving as the
head of the church in his capacity as Patriarchal Vicar. A group of
Armenian dignitaries have urged for an election of a new patriarch
though Turkish laws prevent it since a new patriarch cannot be elected
while his predecessor is alive. Another debate is over whether the
new patriarch will be "a co-patriarch" or not.
A patriarchal election is required to be held by the synod and
the synod has to apply to the Interior Ministry after approving the
election. The government ruled out an election of a new patriarch but
a group of Armenians filed a lawsuit for the removal of regulations
blocking the election. The legal process is still underway.
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Bedros Å~^irinoglu, president of the
Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital Foundation, which represents the
Armenian community, said the community needed a new patriarch,
"either a successor or a co-patriarch." He claimed that the majority of
community members agreed with the election of a successor. Patriarchal
Vicar Aram AteÅ~_yan told Turkish daily Milliyet that the election was
"up for debate" but the synod would have the final say on the matter.
Å~^irinoglu says that Armenians have no intention of removing AteÅ~_yan
from his post. "He can be a candidate. What matters here is holding
an election," Å~^irinoglu stated. "AteÅ~_yan has been serving as an
acting patriarch for seven years. You can't be an acting patriarch
for seven years," he said.
Å~^irinoglu said that his call for the election of a new patriarch
has found broad support in the community including from the family
of Mesrob II.
Since he was diagnosed with dementia, Mesrob II remains confined to
a Turkish-Armenian hospital in Istanbul where he has been receiving
treatment since 2008. He is the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian
Orthodox community and succeeded Karekin II in 1998.
http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2014/10/21/armenians-mull-electing-a-new-patriarch
From: Baghdasarian
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Oct 21 2014
Daily Sabah
ISTANBUL -- The lengthy absence of Mesrob Mutafyan, the Armenian
Orthodox Patriarch in Turkey, due to his illness, has fueled a debate
in the country's Armenian religious community regarding whether the
patriarch should be replaced with a successor.
Since Mutafyan, officially known as Mesrob II, began suffering from
dementia in 2008, Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan has been serving as the
head of the church in his capacity as Patriarchal Vicar. A group of
Armenian dignitaries have urged for an election of a new patriarch
though Turkish laws prevent it since a new patriarch cannot be elected
while his predecessor is alive. Another debate is over whether the
new patriarch will be "a co-patriarch" or not.
A patriarchal election is required to be held by the synod and
the synod has to apply to the Interior Ministry after approving the
election. The government ruled out an election of a new patriarch but
a group of Armenians filed a lawsuit for the removal of regulations
blocking the election. The legal process is still underway.
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Bedros Å~^irinoglu, president of the
Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital Foundation, which represents the
Armenian community, said the community needed a new patriarch,
"either a successor or a co-patriarch." He claimed that the majority of
community members agreed with the election of a successor. Patriarchal
Vicar Aram AteÅ~_yan told Turkish daily Milliyet that the election was
"up for debate" but the synod would have the final say on the matter.
Å~^irinoglu says that Armenians have no intention of removing AteÅ~_yan
from his post. "He can be a candidate. What matters here is holding
an election," Å~^irinoglu stated. "AteÅ~_yan has been serving as an
acting patriarch for seven years. You can't be an acting patriarch
for seven years," he said.
Å~^irinoglu said that his call for the election of a new patriarch
has found broad support in the community including from the family
of Mesrob II.
Since he was diagnosed with dementia, Mesrob II remains confined to
a Turkish-Armenian hospital in Istanbul where he has been receiving
treatment since 2008. He is the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian
Orthodox community and succeeded Karekin II in 1998.
http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2014/10/21/armenians-mull-electing-a-new-patriarch
From: Baghdasarian