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ANN/GROONG - Armenian Apostolic Church elects new leader
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Armenian Apostolic Church elects new leader
Associated Press Newswires
10/27/1999
ECHMIADZIN, Armenia (AP) - The Armenian Apostolic Church on
Wednesday elected Garegin Nersesian, the Archbishop of Ararat, as
its new leader, in voting by 456 representatives of its dioceses
worldwide.
Nersesian became the 132nd Catholicos in competition with acting
Catholicos Nerses Pozapalian. The elections were held in the town
of Echmiadzin, 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Yerevan, the
historic residence of the church head.
In the run-up to the elections, several prominent church officials
assailed the Armenian government for openly backing Nersesian,
although officials denied any interference.
Nersesian, 48, started his church career in 1970 after graduating
from a seminary in Echmiadzin. He became a monk in 1972, then
travelled to Vienna to continue his studies. He moved to Germany
in 1975 and graduated from Bonn University.
Nersesian also attended the Russian Orthodox Church Academy in
Zagorsk, Russia, from which he graduated in 1979.
In 1980 he joined the key Ararat diocese which includes the
Armenian capital, and became its bishop in 1983 and archbishop in
1992.
Nersesian, 48 succeeds Catholicos Garegin I, who died in June of
larynx cancer.
Earlier this summer, the Armenian church canceled a trip by Pope
John Paul II to Armenia because of the Catholicos' failing health.
The Vatican had scheduled a July 2-4 papal visit to Armenia as part
of John Paul's efforts to improve relations with other Christian
denominations.
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