Ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian Rite in Greece

The Ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian Rite in Greece or Armenian Catholic Ordinariate of Greece (informally Greece of the Armenians ) is an Ordinariate for the faithful of eastern rite (Eastern Catholic quasi-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Armenian Catholic Church (Armenian Rite in Armenian language) for its faithful in Greece.

It is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See (notably the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches); not part of any ecclesiastical province.

History

The ordinariate was established on December 21, 1925 by Pope Pius XI^[1] to serve Armenian Catholics who arrived in Greece during the First World War. This Armenian Catholic Ordinariate of Greece was created to the particular church sui iuris had no proper Ordinary.

From 1950 to 2002, the ordinariate, shaped by its extreme diaspora situation, increased from 450 to 550 Armenian Catholic Christians, cared for by the only diocesan priest of the Ordinariate in the only municipality in the country.

Between January 7, 2003 and March 21, 2015, the Armenian bishop of Isfahan (Iran) was the Apostolic Administrator of the Ordinariate.

Territory and statistics

The Ordinariate extends its jurisdiction over the Armenian Catholics of the whole Greece. There are 200 Catholics belonging to this ordinariate.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, in the Greek capital Athens. An other parish is present in Nikaia^[2][3], near Piraeus.

Ordinaries

(all Armenian Rite)

Ordinaries of Greece

• Father Giuseppe Khantzian (1949.06.18 – death 1973)
• Fr. Giovanni Koyounian (1973.06.21 – death 1991)
• Neshan Karakéhéyan, Patriarchal Clergy Institute of Bzommar (I.C.P.B.) (1991 – 2000.09.27 see below), later Eparch (Bishop) of Ispahan of the Armenians (Iran) (2000.09.27 – 2005.04.02), remained Apostolic Administrator of Greece of the Armenians (Greece) (2000.09.27 – 2015.03.21), Ordinary of East Europe of the Armenians (Armenia) (2005.04.02 – 2010.01.06), remaining Patriarchal Administrator of Ispahan of the Armenians (Iran) (2005.04.02 – 2015.10.01), Titular Archbishop of Adana of the Armenians (2005.04.02 – ...)
• Apostolic Administrator Neshan Karakéhéyan, I.C.P.B. (see above 2000.09.27 – 2015.03.21)
• Apostolic Administrator Fr. Hovsep Bezazian (Bezouzou) (2015.03.21 – ...), no other office

Source

• Annuario Pontificio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, ISBN 88-209-7422-3.

References

External links

• GCatholic with incumbent bio links
• Catholic-hierarchy.org