France: Archibishop Norvan Zakarian leaves today

Paris - Jean Eckian 

It is today, November 1, 2013 , that takes effect the resignation of Archibishop Norvan Zakarian , Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of France (2007-2013).

Norvan Bishop Zakarian was born in 1940 in Beirut (Lebanon) . He studied at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and arrived in France in 1967. Until 1975, he ministered at St. Jean-Baptiste de Paris and chairs the construction of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of Issy-les- Moulineaux which he was rector until 1980. He was then appointed Vicar of Legate catholicossal and ordained bishop for the Rhône-Alpes region by His Holiness Vazgen I.

Under his leadership is founded in 1987 the chair of the Armenian spirituality Calouste Gulbenkian at the Catholic Institute of Lyon in 1988 and Markarian - Papazian bilingual school in Lyon. He is actively involved in ecumenical dialogue at local and international levels. During his episcopate made the construction of churches in Charvieu Nichan Saint -Pont -de- Chéruy (Isère) and St. Gregory the Illuminator in Saint- Etienne (Loire), and the formation of the parishes of Vienna and Grenoble (Isère) , Saint Nicolas in Romans- sur- Isère ( Drôme) .

Co -founder of the Armenian Fund of France, in 2007, he was elected Primate of the Diocese of France, appointed Officer of Catholicossate for Western Europe and member of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church .

Teacher of the Faith, Archbishop Zakarian is also the author of several books .

Norvan Zakarian had submitted his resignation to His Holiness Karekin II, on 1 July 2013.

Jean Eckian [jeaneckian@gmail.com]