His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

The Custody of the Holy Land officially
greets His Beatitude, Nourhan Manougian (L)
 Courtesy:The Custody

Newly-elected Jerusalem Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian (baptismal name Boghos) was born in Aleppo, Syria on 22 July 1948. He received his primary education in the Haigazian School of Aleppo.

In 1961 he entered the Theological Seminary of Antellias to start his theological education. In 1966 he entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. On 27 July 1968 he was ordained to the diaconate.

In 1971 he was ordained a celibate priest by then Patriarch of Jerusalem Yeghishй Derderian and was given the priestly name of Nourhan. Following his ordination, he was appointed to serve as the Vice Dean of entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary from 1971 to 1972. In 1975 he was named as the Dean of the Seminary.

In 1972 and 1973 Father Nourhan continued his pastoral mission and served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian faithful in Geneva, Switzerland. Father Nourhan received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in 1973.

Following his service in Europe, Father Nourhan returned to the Middle East and from 1974 to 1980 served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian community of Haifa, Israel.

In 1980 upon the invitation of then Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, he left for New York, New York and entered the General Theological Seminary, where he furthered his theological education. He graduated in 1983.

Remaining in the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, in 1994, he served as the spiritual pastor of the St. Gevork Church in Houston, Texas.

In 1998 he returned to Jerusalem where he served as the Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On 14 December 1999 he was consecrated as a Bishop by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II. He was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II in 2000.

In 2009, His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, designated Archbishop Nourhan as Patriarchal Vicar. He currently serves at the Patriarchate supervising the activities of the Departments of the Patriarchate.

Manougian was elected as the 97th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on January 24, 2013, in a close vote, edging out the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem's Locum Tenens, Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, in the final round of voting, 17-15.


New Patriarch of Jerusalem
Armenian Orthodox Church of Jerusalem Elect New Patriarch
Nourhan Manoogian Elected Jerusalem Patriarch
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian
AFP photo
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