ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Nearly five months since the passing of Mesrob II, the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul) has launched its organizational work to hold an election of a new patriarch.
A new patriarch will be elected by spiritual and secular delegates, who themselves are yet to be elected. The election of these delegates will take place on December 7 and 8. The patriarchate seeks to hold the election of a patriarch on December 11, and it has applied to the Ministry of Interior of Turkey through the Government of Istanbul Province with a request to confirm the dates, the patriarchate said on its social media account.
Mesrob II Mutafyan of Constantinople was the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. He was elected patriarch in 1998, but ten years later was incapacitated due to Alzheimer’s disease. However, officially he remained patriarch.
He died on March 8, 2019 in hospital at the age of 62.
In July, the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople took a step towards the election of a new patriarch last week, when it chose Bishop Sahak Mashalian to fill the role of “locum tenens” or “placeholder” who will administer the Patriarchate until a new Armenian Patriarch is chosen.
The election of Bishop Mashalian was the result of a closed-door meeting of the patriarchal congregation on July 4, which was scheduled to follow the mourning period for the late
