Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and ...

Guregh Israelian () (6 January 1894 – 28 October 1949) was Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem serving the

Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, also known as the Armenian Patriarchate of Saint James (, , ), is located in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Armenian Apostolic Church is officially recognised under Israel's confessional syste ...

from 1944 to 1949, succeeding Patriarch Mesrob Nishanian who had served from 1939 to 1944. He was born Dikran Israelian in

New Julfa New Julfa (, ''Now Jolfā'', or , ''Jolfâ-ye Now''; , ''Nor Jugha'') is the Armenians, Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the Zayanderud. Established and named after the Gülüstan, Nakhchivan, older city of Julf ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. He was ordained deacon in December 1921 and celibate priest (taking the name Guregh) in July 1923. In July 1944 the Brotherhood of St James elected him as locum tenens of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem after the death of Patriarch Mesrob. He was elected Patriarch in October 1944. He was finally consecrated bishop in

Echmiadzin Vagharshapat ( ) is the 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin ...

on 1 July 1945, becoming an archbishop on 16 July 1945. He was installed as Patriarch in the Cathedral of St James on 6 December 1945 after the British

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

had given the necessary assent. He died in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

shortly after an operation. Upon his death in 1949, the position of Patriarch of Jerusalem remained vacant for more than a decade, i.e. from 1949 to 1957 and from 1958 to 1960, with a very brief period when

Tiran Nersoyan Tiran Nersoyan (August 23, 1904 in Antep, Cilicia, Ottoman Empire – September 1, 1989 in New York City) was an Armenian Apostolic clergyman. He was Patriarch-elect of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem very briefly in 1957–1958 but neve ...

was elected as patriarch of Jerusalem (1957–1958), but was never

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

. Only in 1960 was a new Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem officially elected, namely Patriarch

Yeghishe Derderian Patriarch Yeghishe Derderian () (21 July 1911 – 1 February 1990) was Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem serving the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem from 1960 to 1990. Yeghishe was born Yeghiazar Derderian in Van, then the Ottoman Empire, now T ...

. Earlier since 1949, Derderian was serving as deputy patriarch.

References

Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem 1894 births 1949 deaths 20th-century Oriental Orthodox bishops People from Isfahan Persian Armenians {{Armenia-reli-bio-stub