Archbishop Mesrop Moutafian Enters his Eternal Rest
08.03.2019
It is with profound sorrow that we inform our faithful that on March 8, His Eminence Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, Patriarchal Vicar General of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, establishing contact with the His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; informed about the death of the His Eminence Archbishop Mesrop Moutafian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. Archbishop Mesrop suffered from severe illness in recent years and was in the Holy Savior National Hospital in Constantinople.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church and the clergy deeply mourn the loss of Archbishop Mesrop Moutafian and convey their condolences to the clergy of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, praying for the peace and tranquility of the soul of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Details of funeral ceremonies will be announced later.
Blessed be the memory of the righteous.
BIOGRAPHY
Patriarch Archbishop Mesrob Mutafayan (baptismal name Minas) was born on 16 June 1957 in Istanbul, Turkey. He received his primary education in the Esayan Armenian Primary School and from 1968 to 1974 was a student at Istanbul’s English High School.
He was a student at the Stuttgart American High School in Germany. He studied Philosophy and Sociology as an undergraduate at the University of Memphis Tennessee in the United States from 1976 until 1979. He was a student at the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem during the summers of 1977 and 1978, studying under Archbishop Norayr Bogharian of blessed memory.
He was ordained as a celibate priest in May, 1979 in the Holy Cross Church in Istanbul, Turkey by Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Shnork Galuostian, and given the priestly name of Mesrob. Upon his ordination, he continued his postgraduate education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem University College, from 1979 to 1982. During this time, he taught at the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
In 1982, Father Mesrob was asked to serve as the administrative assistant to the Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Shnork Galoustian, as well as serve as the spiritual pastor of the St. Gregory the Iluminator Church on Kinali Island.
Father Mesorb received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in 1984, and in May of 1986 was elevated to the rank of Senior Archimandrite (Dzayraguyn Vardapet) . He was consecrated as a bishop in September of 1986 in Holy Etchmiadzin by the late Patriarchs of the Armenian Church, His Holiness Vazken I, Catholicos of All Armenians; Archbishop Shnork Kaloustian, and Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, and was appointed to serve as the Armenian spiritual leader the Princes' Islands by the Patriarch, as well as the Chancellor of the Patriarchate anda member of the Patriarchal Religious and Advisory Councils.
Bishop Mutafyan did post-graduate studies in Ecumenical Theology under Professor Remi Hoeckman at the Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) University (Rome, Italy) from 1988 to 1989. He also supervised humanitarian aid to the earthquake zone in Armenia with the Community of Saint Egidio, Italy.
Following the passing of Patriarch Shnork, Bishop Mesrob was instrumental in the election of Patriarch Karekin II Kazanjian. In 1992 he was promoted to the rank of Archbishop by the late Catholicos Vazken I. From 1990 to 1998 Bishop Mesrob served as assistant to the late Patriarch Karekin II and served as the Chairman of the Religious Council. In addition to his duties in Istanbul, Archbishop Mutafyan served as a member of the Central Board of the 1700th Anniversary Committee in Etchmiadzin.
On March 16, 1998 Archbishop Mutafyan was elected Locum Tenens of the Patriarchate and on October 14, he was elected 84th Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul.
In 2003, he was awarded an honorary title of Doctor of Theology, by St. Mary University of Washington.
He is also a member of the Elijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders.
He is bilingual in Turkish and English and uses classical Armenian, Hebrew, French and Italian in his academic studies.
