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'Patriarch' And 'Co-Patriarch' Chaos Among Turkey's Armenians

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  • 'Patriarch' And 'Co-Patriarch' Chaos Among Turkey's Armenians

    'PATRIARCH' AND 'CO-PATRIARCH' CHAOS AMONG TURKEY'S ARMENIANS

    armradio.am
    01.02.2010 18:47

    Elections for the Armenian patriarch in Turkey have been cast into
    confusion with two separate applications filed to hold the polls.

    While the patriarchate's clerical board intends to elect a
    'co-patriarch,' an 'Entrepreneur Committee' of community foundation
    directors is insisting on electing a completely new patriarch, the
    Hurriyet Daily News reports.

    Upcoming elections to select a new patriarch for Turkey's Armenians
    have become increasingly enveloped in confusion as two separate
    community applications to hold the polls were recently filed with
    the Istanbul Governor's Office.

    The patriarchate's clerical board recently decided to elect a
    co-patriarch for the Armenian community due to the deteriorating heath
    condition of current Patriarch Mesrop II. The elected co-patriarch
    would then become the patriarch following Mesrop II's death.

    At the same time, the Entrepreneur Committee, a body consisting of the
    directors of the community's foundations, has initiated proceedings
    to elect a completely new patriarch. This means that two separate
    applications to elect the community's religious leader have now been
    filed with the Istanbul Governor.

    After learning of the committee's application, the clerical board
    released a statement condemning the filing of election papers, as the
    double application has cast a shadow over the co-patriarch elections
    tentatively scheduled to be held May 12.

    Intra-communal debate on the matter has led to calls for the election
    of a co-patriarch. According to the canon law of the Armenian Apostolic
    Church, an elected patriarch holds his title until death, meaning
    that it is impossible to elect a new patriarch until the passing of
    the incumbent one.
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