Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Mesrob Mutafyan Laid to Rest

* Photographs: Ahmet Bolat / İstanbul - AA

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Mesrob II Mutafyan, the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Turkey who lost his life in the Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital in İstanbul on March 8, was sent off on his eternal journey yesterday (March 17).

After the funeral ceremony in Surp Asdvadzadzin Patriarchal Church (the Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church) in Kumkapı, the deceased body of the patriarch was laid to rest in Şişli Armenian Cemetery.

While the funeral ceremony was aired online on Luys TV, the first Armenian TV channel of Turkey, the messages of Pope Francis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were read out in the ceremony.

People visited the late patriarch for two days

The deceased body of Mesrob II Mutafyan was placed on catafalque in the Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church in Kumkapı so that people could show their respect to the patriarch between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on March 14 and March 15. Several people visited the church during these two days to pay their last respect to the deceased patriarch. The members of the church who voted in the patriarch election kept watch by his coffin.

He was laid to rest in Şişli Armenian Cemetery

After the ceremony which started at 10 a.m. in the Holy Mother of God Church, a farewell speech was made in front of the patriarchate building at 2 p.m. and the last prayers (Tampanagan) were recited.

Taken from the church to the Şişli Armenian Ceremony, the deceased body of the late patriarch has been laid to rest there.

Attendants of the funeral ceremony

Mutafyan's mother Mari Mutafyan, Religious Leader of Catholic Armenians of Turkey Kerabaydzar Levon Zekiyan, Pastor of Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Syrian Church, Syriac Old Community Leader Yusuf Çetin, Jewish Chief Rabbinate, representatives from Catholic Churches, Patriarch Mutafyan's English Teacher priest John Whooley from the Catholic Church of England, church representatives from Armenia, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Vatican, representatives from churches in Turkey, the delegates who elected Mesrob Mutafyan as the patriarch in 1998.

Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Governor of İstanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Metropolitan Mayor of İstanbul Mevlüt Uysal, AKP Metropolitan Mayor Candidate for İstanbul Binali Yıldırım, Republican People's Party (CHP) Metropolitan Mayor Candidate for İstanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan, AKP MP Markar Esayan, CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu, CHP Mayor Candidate for the district of Adalar Erdem Gül.

Messages

During the funeral ceremony, the messages of President Erdoğan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I were read out. Patriarch of Jerusalem Manukyan also read out the message of the Patriarchate. The messages referred to the work and personality of the late patriarch as well as what he did for the Armenian Church.

The message of Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey was read by Aram Ateşyan.

Election of the 85th Patriarch

The process to elect the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Turkey will start as of the 40th day of Mesrob II Mutafyan's death.

* Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın also attended the ceremony

Mourning declared until Easter

After the death of Mutafyan, the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey declared mourning until Easter, namely April 21, 2019. During this period, Armenian institutions affiliated with the churches, district foundations and associations will postpone their non-religious events.

(TP/SD)