The Armenian Apostolic Church Patriarchate of
Constantinople will have a new leader in 2017. The severe illness of incumbent
Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan hasn’t allowed him to perform his functions since
2007. In October 2016, the Supreme Council decided to appeal to the relevant
authorities for the election of a new patriarch. The elections will most likely
take place in spring, said Bagrat Estoukian, the editor of Agos Weekly Armenian
edition in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.
“The campaign has not even started, and it is difficult
to say who are the likely candidates. At the moment, there are four registered
candidates: Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshian, Bishop Sahak Mashalian of the
Religious Council, head of the German Diocese Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan, and
head of Gugark Diocese Archbishop Sepuh Chuldjian. In my opinion, the final
struggle will be between two out of four candidates, as two others will give
up,” he said.
According to Bagrat Estoukian, it is hard to say exactly,
which candidates will compete at the final round. He did not exclude a
scenario, when Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshian abandon the competition.
“Ateshian’s candidacy is out-of-date, and I hardly see
people vote for him,” he added. Estoukian replied to the question about a possible
interference to the elections by the Turkish authorities. “It is impossible,
that the Turkish authorities intervene, because if they try something like
that, it will have an opposite effect.”
The Armenian community in Istanbul has long been divided over
the choice of the patriarch. Patriarch Mutafyan is unable to perform his duties
due to health problems. However, according to the regulations of the
Patriarchate, the patriarch is elected for life. Most of the community was
demanding new elections, while the other part of the community stressed that
ecclesiastical law prohibits the selection of a new patriarch, while the
incumbent is alive.
During these years, the functions of the patriarch have
been carried out by the Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshian. Part of the Armenian
community of Istanbul does not accept Ateshian and consider him a person
appointed by Erdogan.
Armenia News - NEWS.am
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