Patriarch Nourhan Manougian (; born 24 June 1948) is the 97th 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 ...

of the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

. He is the 97th in the succession of Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem, succeeding Patriarch

Torkom Manoogian Patriarch Torkom Manoogian (; 16 February 1919 – 12 October 2012) was the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem serving the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He was the 96th in a succession of Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem, succeeding Patriarch Y ...

, who served for 22 years (1990–2012). Manougian was elected as Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on 24 January 2013.

Background

Manougian was born on 24 June 1948 in

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. His baptismal name was Boghos. After completing his primary education at the Haigazian School of Aleppo, he studied at the Theological Seminary of

Antelias Antelias () is a city in Lebanon in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Etymology The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(anti) "contra" and ἥλ� ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

from 1961. He went to the Jarankavoratz Theological Seminary of the

in 1966. He was ordained a deacon in 1968 and in 1971 ordained as celibate priest by 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 ...

. In 1972, he became pastor of the Armenian community in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1974, Manougian returned to the Middle East and served as the pastor to the Armenian communities of Jaffa and Haifa in Israel. He also taught at the Sts. Tarkmanchatz School in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter. In 1979, Manougian served the Armenian Community in Almelo, the Netherlands. In 1982 he studied at The General Theological Seminary, upon invitation by the Primate of the Armenian Church of America, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian. Manougian graduated in 1985. During his time in America, Manougian served as pastor to communities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Houston, Texas.

Patriarchate of Jerusalem

In 1998, Manougian was elected as the Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and in 1999 ordained a bishop. In 2000 he was ordained as archbishop by Catholicos

Karekin II Catholicos Garegin II (, also spelled Karekin; born 21 August 1951) is the Catholicos of All Armenians, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, since 1999. In 2013 he was unanimously elected the Oriental Orthodox head of the World Cou ...

Catholicos of All Armenians The Catholicos of All Armenians () is the chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Armenian diaspora. The Armenian Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is also known as the Armenian ...

. In 2009 he became patriarchal vicar, supervising the patriarchate. On 24 January 2013, Manougian was elected as the 97th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. On 4 June 2013, he was officially enthroned. Since his enthronement, Manougian has undertaken already several renewing projects, such as renovations of St. James Cathedral; as well as participating in the extensive renovations of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Edicule in the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. On February 6, 2014, Manougian received the honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from the General Theological Seminary in Manhattan, New York. In July 2021 Manougian signed a contract with Australian-Jewish businessman Danny Rothman (aka Rubenstein) to lease about 25% of the

Armenian Quarter The Armenian Quarter (, ; , ''Harat al-Arman''; , ''Ha-Rova ha-Armeni'') is one of the four sectors of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Located in the southwestern corner of the Old City, it can be accessed through the Zion Gate and Jaffa G ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

's Old City for 98 years without letting out the details of contract.''Exclusive to TML: Purported Land Sale in Armenian Quarter Will Damage Christian Presence in Jerusalem'

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manougian, Nourhan Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem Religious leaders from Aleppo Syrian people of Armenian descent 1948 births Living people 20th-century Oriental Orthodox bishops 21st-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops