The Catholicos of the World Armenian Catholics and Patriarch of Cilicia Krikor Bedros 20th Ghabroyan died on May 25 at the age of 86.
The Funeral of the Patriarch took place on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 10:30 am at the Illuminating St. Gregory and St. Prophet Elia Cathedral. Special rites and prayers were held for the Patriarch in all other Armenian Catholic Churches as well. While the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo Boutros Marayati presided over the funeral, Deputy Bishop Kevork Esaduryan from the Beirut Armenian Catholic Patriarchate also attended the funeral. In addition, a letter of condolence from Pope Francis was read at the funeral.
Funeral of Catholicos Patriarch Krikor Bedros was buried in the Patriarchate Bzommar (Zımmar) Priests Congregation “Patriarchs Cemetery”.
Patriarch Krikor Bedros 20th Ghabroyan
Born in Aleppo on November 14, 1934, Greguar, hearing the call of God, started his education at the Lebanese Bzommar (pronounced ZIMMAR) monastery, at the college (Juniye) belonging to “Marist” brothers, and studied spirituality. He was sent to Rome for his higher education and continued his education at the Levonian Armenian College. He successfully completed his master’s degree in Philosophy and Theology at the Gregorian University, and was consecrated as a priest in Lebanon on March 28, 1959 after his graduation.
Priest Krikor Gabroyan became an instructor at the Bzommar (Zimmar) Monastery’s Seminary in 1960 and was the principal of the Armenian Catholic Mesrobian School in Beirut from 1962 to 1996. From 1969 to 1975 he was the director of the Bzommar (Zimmar) Monastery’s Seminary, and also the secretary of the Governing Body of the Monastery and the Patriarchate Spiritual Community.
He was appointed to serve the Armenian Catholics in France in 1976 and on 13 February 1977, the Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch 17th Hmayag Bedros Gedigyan consecrated himself as bishop. He served as Apostolic Exarch in France between 1977 and 1986. From 1986 to April 2013, he served the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic community as Epark.
His resignation from this service was accepted by Pope Francis in 2013.
After the death of Armenian Catholic Catholicos Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni on 25 June 2015, he served as the Patriarchate until the election of a new Patriarch.
On July 24, 2015, Krikor Bedros was elected as the 20th Catholicos Patriarch by the Armenian Catholic Bishops Holy Synod. He officially took office on August 9, 2015, after being confirmed by Pope Francis the next day with a communion letter.
