On Sunday, 12 July 2015, during the Holy Liturgy, His Holiness Aram I authorized the granting of the first four ranks of Vartabed to thirteen priests. Before the chanting of the Lord’s Prayer by the celebrant, Bishop Krikor Chiftjian, Prelate of the Diocese of Aderbadagan in Iran, Very Rev. Sipan Ketchejian, the Dean of the Cathedral, led the thirteen priests to the altar. After hearing their vow to remain loyal to the teachings of the Armenian Church and the teachings of its Church Fathers, Bishop Krikor explained the four ranks associated with their scholarly work and gave them the right to carry the staff.

In his sermon, the Celebrant Bishop exhorted the priests to remain true to the Word of God in the face of rising religious synchretism and extremism. At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness Aram I blessed Bishop Krikor and the new Vartabeds.

Presentation of Doctoral Thesis

On Saturday, 11 July 2015, at St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya, the priests presented their research to His Holiness Aram I and the panel, in the presence of members of the brotherhood and seminary students. Their research projects focussed on the analysis of correspondence during the period 1915-1955, between the Catholicos of Cilicia, the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople, and the Prelates of Cyprus and Peria (Syria) under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The theses provide important historical facts and describe the efforts of the Armenian Church, during Ottoman rule, the Genocide, deportation and its aftermath, to protect its people, heritage and rights.

At the end of the presentations, His Holiness Aram I commented on the work and made suggestions for improvement. He then thanked the new vartabeds for their serious academic work, which, while archival in nature, will provide valuable data for future research to explain the facts around the Genocide, the Church, its people and the creation of the Diaspora.