Episcopal Ordination in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
11.10.2004
On September 26, on the feast of the Holy Cross of Varak, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians celebrated a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. During the liturgy, His Holiness consecrated and ordained the Very Rev. Father Arshak Vardapet Khatchatrian as a bishop of the Armenian Church. Assisting His Holiness during the service were His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian and His Grace Bishop Navasard Kjoyan. The intercessor for Father Arshak was His Grace Bishop Paren Avedikian.
During evening services the previous day, Father Arshak kneeled before the Holy Altar of Descent in the Cathedral and solemnly read and signed the oath to remain faithful to his episcopal vow and to the Catholicosate of All Armenians.
On Sunday morning the Pontifical procession led by the Catholicos of All Armenians entered into the Cathedral. The public examination of the faith and worthiness of Father Arshak took place before the Altar of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, during which his profession of the orthodox faith was confirmed.
According to accepted tradition, representatives of each ecclesiastical and hierarchal rank ? acolytes, deacons, priests and two laymen representing different classes of society approached His Holiness and publicly bore witness on the behalf of the candidate. His Holiness then confirmed the testimonials and presented the candidate with his episcopal omophorion.
The Divine Liturgy then continued before the Main Altar of the Mother Cathedral. Reciting prayers from the ?Mashtots? (ritual book) of ordination, His Holiness called the candidate to the rank of bishop. The Supreme Patriarch consecrated the candidate?s forehead and the thumb of the right hand with Holy Chrism, following which the symbols of episcopacy ? the episcopal staff and ring, were presented to the newly consecrated bishop.
In his Pontifical message, His Holiness stated in part, ?Every time we ordain a clergyman to spiritual service by giving him ecclesiastical, particularly episcopal rank, we experience moments of consolation inside our hearts, as we feel our Lord?s presence and assistance; we witness the reawakening of our Church and we believe that we shall be able to fulfill our Lord?s message of service directed to us. We strongly believe that the souls, hearts and spirits of our priests and bishops of Holy Etchmiadzin that have been confirmed by the seal of the Holy Chrism, will contribute to the vibrancy and well-being of Holy Etchmiadzin, and thus to the well-being of the worldwide Armenian Church and people.
?We believe that the miraculous Holy Chrism will grant new strength, zeal and wisdom to our new bishop. In our understanding, the sacred mystery of Holy Etchmiadzin and the grace of spiritual power are woven together in an unbreakable bond. That is why our holy and gloried forefathers decided to grant the awarding of the highest ecclesiastical rank ? the ordination to bishop, exclusively and only in the Mother Cathedral of All Armenians, as Holy Etchmiadzin is the very soul of the whole body of all Armenians.?
After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a reception was hosted in the Mother See in honor of the new bishop. His Holiness presented an episcopal panagia to His Grace Bishop Arshak and congratulated him, asking for God to grant him greater devotion and dedication in his mission of service.
* * *
HIS GRACE BISHOP ARSHAK KHACHATRIAN
Bishop Arshak Khatchatrian (baptismal name Samvel) was born on August 5, 1973 in the village of Voskehat, district of Armavir.
From 1980 to 1990 he received his secondary education in the local school.
In 1990, he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. On May 19, 1996 he was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Anania Arabajian.
He graduated from the Seminary in 1996, and in 1997 he successfully defended his graduation thesis entitled ?The Indo-Armenian Colony and the Legates of the Mother See in India?.
From 1996 to 1997 Deacon Samvel worked in the Secretariat (Divan) of the Catholicosate.
On December 14, 1997 he was ordained as a celibate priest and given the priestly name ?Arshak? by Archbishop Zaven Chinchinian of blessed memory, then Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt.
In 1998, he served in the administration of the Mother See.
In March 1999, under the direction of the Pontifical Vicar General, Archbishop Karekin Nersissian, Fr. Arshak was appointed to serve in the editorial office of ?Etchmiadzin? monthly (the official journal of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) as Acting Editor in Chief.
In June 2000, upon the order of the newly-enthroned Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II, he was appointed the director of the newly established office in charge of Mother See / Diocese Relations.
In January of 2001 by the Pontifical order of His Holiness, he was assigned as Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 2001 he successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled ?The Legateship of the Armenian Church?. On February 22 of the same year he received the rank of Vardapet (Archimandrite) by the Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, His Grace Bishop Navasard Kjoyan.
On September 26, 2004, Fr. Arshak was consecrated and ordained as a bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. His Grace Bishop Arshak will continue to bring his service to the Armenian Church as Chancellor of the Mother See.
