Uncategorized

Late Patriarch Manoogian Laid to Rest

October 29, 2012

by

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

63

By Arthur Hagopian

JERUSALEM — The epic odyssey of the boy Avedis, from the sandstorms of the Iraqi desert, to the golden throne of St. James in Jerusalem, wound down to its inevitable close this week, as the coffin slowly descended into the grave. The heavens themselves seemed to blaze forth the death of the prince, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, 96th in line of succession from Abraham, the first leader of the Armenian Church in the Holy Land.

In a hauntingly solemn ceremony, his fellow princes had led Manoogian to his final resting place in the Armenian cemetery of St. Saviors, a stone’s throw from the bulletriddled Zion Gate, one of seven that punctuate the 500-year-old Walls of the Old City.

Thousands of people, some of whom had flown in expressly for the occasion, watched the funeral or accompanied the cortege, the narrow streets of the Old City and the confined space within the cemetery making it impossible to accommodate more than a fraction of their number.

Putting aside their differences for a brief spell, leaders or representatives of practically every house of God in Jerusalem, and of every
political affiliation in the country, marched in the mournful funeral procession, from the Convent of St. James, seat of the Armenian
Patriarchate, to the Armenian cemetery.

Those attending included a special envoy from the Lebanon-based Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, who emerged from self-imposed retirement, to join the funeral procession.

ADVERTISMENT

Within days of the death of Manoogian, the brotherhood of Armenian priests in Jerusalem met in general assembly to elect a new locum tenens, giving the nod to Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, director of the Patriarchate’s ecumenical and foreign relations.

It will be his job, among his other caretaker responsibilities, to pave the way for the election of Jerusalem’s 97th Armenian patriarch.
In one of the highlights of Manoogian’s funeral mass, celebrated in the ornate Cathedral of St. James, Shirvanian bent to bless
Manoogian’s body, dipping his finger in a receptacle holding the holy chrism, and anointing the late patriarch’s forehead and right hand.

The gesture is a tacit affirmation of the link of patriarchal succession and points to the symbolic importance of the right hand of an
Armenian priest (this is the hand he uses to bless the congregation and offer communion) as evidenced by the fact that relics of Armenian saints are usually housed in golden molds or replicas of the right hand.

Before coming to Jerusalem, Manoogian had held, reportedly to popular acclaim, the prestigious position of Primate of the Eastern
Diocese of America, a mandate that gave him spiritual jurisdiction over tens of thousands of Armenians living on America’s eat coast. But he gave all that up to go and act as shepherd to a mere handful, in the city of Christ.

And Jerusalem turned out to be one mammoth challenge, a fact acknowledged by the Armenian church, as conceded by the late Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazken I, who said of Manoogian: “We see that his task is difficult: a heavy responsibility weighs upon his shoulders.”

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Manoogian’s successor as Primate, echoed the same sentiments in a eulogy: “He was one of the very few
churchmen of his generation to carry the weight of our church on his shoulders. He stood out . . . and seemed to combine all the
grace and dignity of the Armenian past, with all our fondest hopes and aspirations for the future.”

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

MORE FROM Uncategorized

Conference environment Human Rights

Armenian Assembly of America Statement on Senator Markey and Congressman Pallone at COP29

Like Manoogian, Barsamian is a member of the Brotherhood of St. James, and his name has cropped up as a potential candidate to succeed, a prospect he shares with half a dozen others, each no less impressive in his credentials.

Among the front-runners of the eligible candidates among the Brotherhood, two stand out: Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, the locum tenens, and Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, the Patriarchal Vicar. The former primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, who died recently, had also been among the undeclared runners.

The Armenians of Jerusalem know that it is not going to be easy to replace Manoogian, the reformer.

“Manoogian was a visionary, an idealist, and despite his foibles, he was able to inspire and consolidate the local Armenian community
which had been wrung out to dry during the previous administration,” as an observer remarked.

“Under his tutelage, division lines blurred and people began to feel once more a strong sense of unity, of belonging,” he added.
“Repercussions of the unhappy, traumatic age of Manoogian’s predecessor lost their poignancy. Here was a man who could deliver, who cared for his flock and showed it.”

Jerusalem’s legendary mayor, the late Teddy Kollek, held Manoogian in high esteem and would call on him from time to time.
And as Manoogian’s secretary and press officer, I accompanied him on a visit to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza. As Arafat dwelt at length on the problems and tribulations facing him in the Strip, Manoogian would nod in understanding.

As we were about to leave, Arafat pulled me aside and whispered: “He is a good man. Deeru balkom ‘aleh (take good care of him).”
Manoogian will be mourned long and lovingly, for behind the sorrow at his loss there is joy and pride that this reformer was able, despite all his foibles, to set the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the second most important spiritual fount for all Armenians, back on a solidly sound and secure course.

An old widow, who had cause to remember Manoogian’s beneficence, summed it up with the traditional Armenian wish for the departed: “May the earth lie gently and lightly on your tomb.”

Previous ALMA’s New Director Seeks New Ways to Connect Visitors to Cultural Heritage

Next Newly Discovered Photograph Links Germans to 1915 Armenia Genocide

Top 5 Articles