LRAPER - PATRIARCH MESROB BACK IN ISTANBUL



ISTANBUL, 06/11/99 (Lraper) -- His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II of Istanbul and
all Turkey returned to his See on 5 November, late Friday morning, accompanied
by H.B. Patriarch Torkom of Jerusalem, Their Graces Archbishop Tirayr Mardikian
of Bucarest, Archbishop Shahan Sivaciyan, Bishop Aris Shirvanian, a group of
priests and lay delegates. The Patriarchs were greeted in the Governor's Lounge
at the Yesilkoy International Airport by the members of the Religious Council of
the Armenian Patriarchate and representatives of Istanbul community
institutions.

The Patriarchs were escorted to the Surp Pergitch Chapel near the airport where
they had a solemn entry and a prayer service. They then had lunch at the Surp
Pergitch Armenian Hospital in Yedikule with some forty representatives of the
Armenian community, with whom they shared their experiences while in Armenia.

Following lunch, the Patriarchs and the accompanying bishops were escorted to
the Holy Mother-of-God Patriarchal Church in Kumkapi where they prayed and
examined the damage that the 17 August earthquake had caused. After a brief
coffee break in the patriarchal office, Patriarch Torkom left Istanbul for the
Holy Apostolic See in Jerusalem via Amman.

***

While in Armenia, both patriarchs co-chaired the meetings of the Supreme
Spiritual Council (21 and 22 October), the Episcopal Conference (25 and 30
October), co-presided over the National Ecclesiastic Council (26-28 October)
along with His Eminence the Catholicossal Locum Tenens, attended the funeral
service (31 October) of the Armenian state dignitaries who were assasinated on
27 October, and participated in the consecration and entronement ceremonies of
His Holiness Karekin II (4 November), the newly elected Catholicos of All
Armenians in Etchmiadzin.

Although proposed by a group of eminent bishops, Patriarch Mesrob did not wish
to be considered a candidate for the post of Catholicos of All Armenians.
Instead, His Beatitude supported the candidacy of the Catholicossal Locum Tenens
His Grace Archbishop Nersess Bozabalian. The Patriarch had voiced his deep
reservations about the strange way the lay delegates of Armenia were "elected"
to participate in the National Ecclesiastical Assembly which elected the
Catholicos on 27 October.