Armenian Prelature of Cyprus

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Prelature of Cyprus Կիպրոսի Թեմ

Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Nicosia
Location
Country	Cyprus
Statistics
Population - Total	(as of 2020 est.) ~4,000
Information
Denomination	Armenian Apostolic Church
Rite	Armenian Rite
Established	973
Cathedral	Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Nicosia
Current leadership
Patriarch	Aram I
Catholicosal Vicar	Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian

Armenian Prelature of Cyprus (Armenian: Առաջնորդարան Հայոց Կիպրոսի) is one of the oldest Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside the historic Armenian territories, and the oldest one under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia covering the Republic of Cyprus. It was established in 973 AD and currently has around 4,000 followers, comprising around 95% of the Armenians in Cyprus.

The seat of the Prelature is the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Nicosia. The Prelature building is situated next to the cathedral, on 47 Armenia Avenue, Strovolos, Nicosia. Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian is currently the Catholicosal Vicar, appointed on 19 July 2024.. Archbishop Gomidas arrived in Cyprus on 1st August 2024.

The Prelature has a Facebook page (established in 2014), and also publishes an annual newsletter, titled «Լրատու» (Newsletter, since 2017).

History

Main article: Armenian religion in Cyprus

The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was established in 973 by Catholicos Khatchig I and ever since it has maintained a continuous presence on the island. In the years that followed, some of its Prelates participated in important church synods, such as Tateos (who participated in the Council of Hromkla in 1179), Nigoghaos (who participated in the Synod of Sis in 1307) and Krikor (who participated in a conference of Greek Orthodox Bishops in Cyprus in 1340). The antiquity of the Armenian Church in Cyprus was confirmed by a bull of Pope Leo X, which was issued in 1519 after multiple discords, according to which the Armenian Prelate would be senior to and take precedence over the Maronite, Jacobite and Coptic Prelates.

Historically, the Prelature has been under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, while today it is the oldest theme that falls under its jurisdiction. During the Ottoman Era and the early British Era, for various reasons, it was at times under the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem (1775-1799, 1812-1837, 1848-1861, 1865-1877, 1888-1897, 1898-1908), the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (1759-1775, 1799-1812, 1861-1864, 1877-1888, 1897-1898, 1908-1921), even the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin (1864-1865). Cyprus was the place of refuge for two exiled Patriarchs of Constantinople, Archbishop Tavit Areveltsi (1644-1648) and Senior Archimandrite Krikor Basmadjian (1773-1775).

For centuries, the Prelature building was located within the Armenian compound in Victoria street in walled Nicosia; when that area was taken over by Turkish-Cypriot extremists in 1963-1964, the Prelature was temporarily housed in Aram Ouzounian street (1964-1968) and, later on, in Kyriakos Matsis street in Ayios Dhometios (1968-1984).

Current situation

The current Catholicosal Vicar General is, as of 19 July 2024, Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian. He arrived in Cyprus on 1st August 2024. The parish priest in Nicosia is Fr. Momik Habeshian (since 2000), the parish priest in Larnaca is Fr. Mashdots Ashkarian (since 1992) and the spiritual shepherd in Limassol is Senior Archimandrite Hovhannes Saghdejian (since 2024); Fr. Momik Habeshian was ordained at the Virgin Mary cathedral on 19 December 1999 by Bishop Varoujan Hergelian. The clergymen’s work is aided by the following ordained deacons and stole-bearers (alphabetically): Levon Arakelian, Dr. Antranik A. Ashdjian, Haig Aynedjian, Hagop Bohdjelian, Megerdich Gostanian, Stepan Haroutiunian, Souren Hidirian, Hovig Hovhannessian, Dr. Vahakn Kazandjian, Shant Sarkissian, Nareg Tevitian, Sebouh Tavitian, Vatche Toundjikian, Dr Haig Utidjian and Onnig Yenovkian, as well as by some ordained acolytes and non-ordained individuals who serve the church.

Thanks to the efforts of Bishop Zareh Aznavorian and with financial aid from the Evangelical Church of Westphalia, the new Prelature building was erected between 1983-1984, next to the Virgin Mary cathedral and the Nareg school in Nicosia, by architects Charilaos Dikaios & Athos Dikaios; it was officially inaugurated on 4 March 1984, during the pastoral visit of Catholicos Karekin II. It was recently renovated between 2017-2018, partly thanks to the contribution of the government of Cyprus.

By initiative of Bishop Varoujan Hergelian, the basement of the building was renovated in 1998 and the “Vahram Utidjian” Hall was formed; previously a store room, it became a reality from the proceeds of the auction in 1994 of the art collection that Vahram Utidjian had donated to the Prelature in 1954. It was inaugurated on 3 February 1999 by Catholicos Aram I; numerous charity, communal and cultural events take place there. The Prelature’s consistory houses a collection of ecclesiastical relics, some of which were previously in the old Virgin Mary cathedral in occupied Nicosia or the Sourp Magar monastery in Halevga.

The current Charter of the Prelature consists of 79 Articles and it applies as of 3 September 2010. Administration is exercised by the Armenian Ethnarchy (Ազգային Իշխանութիւն) through the Diocesan Council (Թեմական Ժողով, since 2014 officially called Երեսփոխանական Ժողով), presided by the Catholicosal Vicar and consisting of two (2) priests and twelve (12) elected lay persons - seven (7) for Nicosia, three (3) for Larnaca, one (1) for Limassol and one (1) for Famagusta] and the Administrative Council (Վարչական Ժողով, since 2014 officially called Ազգային Վարչութիւն), presided by the Catholicosal Vicar and consisting of seven (7) lay persons appointed by the Diocesan Council. The Diocesan Council's Chairman is Vahan Aynedjian (since 2022) and Sevag Gurunlian is the Administrative Council's Chairman (as of 2021). As of 1998, the elected Representative is ex officio a member of the Diocesan Council.

According to the Charter, the Prelature also has a Religious Council (Կրօնական Ժողով) - consisting of the four (4) clergymen -, the local Church Committees (Եկեղեցւոյ Հոգաբարձութիւններ - one in Sourp Asdvadzadzin in Nicosia, one in Sourp Stepanos in Larnaca and one in Sourp Kevork in Limassol) - and the local Women's Guilds (Եկեղեցւոյ Տիկնանց Մարմիններ), as well as the Board of Christian Education (Քրիստոնէական Դաստիարակութեան Խորհուրդ). Finally, there is the four-part "Sourp Asdvadzadzin" church choir (Սուրբ Աստուածածին Մայր Եկեղեցւոյ Երգչախումբ), established in 1921 by Vahan Bedelian.

Belonging to the Prelature are the Virgin Mary cathedral in Nicosia (1976-1981), Saint Stephen's church in Larnaca (1909-1913), Saint George's church in Limassol (1939-1940), three parish chapels in Nicosia - Saint Paul (1892), Holy Resurrection (1938) and Holy Saviour of All (1995-1997) -, three cemeteries in Nicosia (c. 1810, 1931 and 1998), one in Larnaca (1923) and one in Limassol (1960). In the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, there is the old Virgin Mary cathedral in Nicosia (1308-1310), the Sourp Magar monastery in Halevga (c. 1000/1425), the Virgin Mary of Ganchvor church in Famagusta (1346) and Famagusta's inaccessible Armenian cemetery (1967). For Liturgies to be held in Christian places of worship in occupied Cyprus, a special permission needs to be obtained.

According to the Decision of the Council of Ministers 66.589/19-12-2007, the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus receives an annual grant of €59,800 by the Republic of Cyprus; the Republic also pays the salaries of the Prelature's clergy and covers their medical and health care (Decision of the Council of Ministers 48.166/22-07-1998). The same arrangements apply for the Maronite Archbishopric of Cyprus and the Latin Vicariate of Cyprus.

List of Prelates, Catholicosal Vicars and locum tenentes

Below is the list of Prelates, Catholicosal Vicars and locum tenentes of the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus, according to available information. Unfortunately, there are some gaps:

Year	Prelate	Year	Prelate	Year	Prelate	Year	Prelate	Year	Prelate
... 1179 ...	Bishop Tateos	1715-1735	Archimandrite Haroutiun	... 1844 ...	Archimandrite Tateos	1884	priest Hovhannes Papazian	1959	Bishop Hrant Khachadourian
... 1307 ...	Bishop Nigoghaos	1734-1735	Archimandrite Haroutiun	1846-1848	Archbishop Hovhannes Marashtsi	1885-1889	priest Hovhannes Shahinian	1960–1968	Senior Archimandrite Yervant Apelian
... 1340 ...	Bishop Krikor	... 1736 ...	Archimandrite Mardiros Sisetsi	1848	Bishop Hovhannes Yetessian	1889-1896	Archimandrite Khoren Portoukalian	1968-1973	Senior Archimandrite Arsen Avedikian
1421-1425	Bishop Levon	1744-1745	Bishop Tavit	1854	Bishop Hovhannes Mamigonian	1896-1897	priest Ghevont Der Nahabedian	1973-1974	archpriest Vazken Sandrouni
1446-1467	Bishop Sarkis	1751-1753	Archimandrite Hovsep	1856	Bishop Apraham Bulbul	1897-1899	priest Hovhannes Shahinian	1974–1977	Bishop Nerses Pakhdigian
1504-1515	Bishop Tavit	1773-1774	Senior Archimandrite Krikor Basmadjian	1857-1859	Archimandrite Boghos Vanetsi	1899-1905	Archimandrite Bedros Saradjian	1977–1983	Bishop Zareh Aznavorian
1553-1567	Bishop Ghougas	...-1779	Bishop Mardiros	1859-1861	Archimandrite Atanas Izmirtsi	1906-1907	Archimandrite Yeremia Liforian	1983–1997	Senior Archimandrite Yeghishe Mandjikian
1567...	Bishop Hovhannes	1783-1799	Bishop Hagop	1864-1865	Archimandrite Tateos Yeretsian	1907-1910	priest Hovhannes Shahinian	1997–2014	Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian
1581	Hieromonk Stepanos	1799-1812	Archbishop Hovhannes	1865-1869	Archimandrite Ghougas Khanigian	1910-1912	priest Ghevont Der Nahabedian	2014-2016	Archbishop Nareg Alemezian
... 1618 ...	Monk Vartan	1812-1814	Archimandrite Bedros	1870-1872	Archimandrite Vartan Mamigonian	1912-1917	priest Sahag Minassian	2016–2017	priest Mashdots Ashkarian
... 1642 ...	Archimandrite Mesrob	1814-1816	Archimandrite Stepanos	1872-1873	Archimandrite Movses Geomrukdjian	1918-1919	Senior Archimandrite Yervant Perdahdjian	2017–2024	Archbishop Khoren Toghramadjian
1644	Bishop Tavit Areveltsi	1816-1817	Archimandrite Teotoros	1873-1874	Archimandrite Maghakia Derounian	1920	Archbishop Taniel Hagopian	2024-	Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian
... 1665 ...	priest Sahag	1817-1819	Bishop Tionesios Garabedian	1874-1876	Archimandrite Mesrob Ghaltakhdjian	1920-1940	Archbishop Bedros Saradjian
... 1668 ...	Bishop Hovhannes	1821	Archimandrite Stepanos	1876-1877	Archimandrite Garabed Pakradouni	1936–1940	Archimandrite Barouyr Minassian
... 1670 ...	Bishop Melidon	1822-1827	Archimandrite Kapriel	1878-1880	archpriest Hovhannes Hunkiarbeyendian	1940–1946	archpriest Khoren Kouligian
1675-1695	Archimandrite Sarkis Cholakh	1827-1833	Archimandrite Haroutiun Izmirtsi	1880-1881	Archimandrite Zakaria Yeghissian	1946-1956	Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyan
1704-1705	Archimandrite Minas Amtetsi	1837-1843	Bishop Hovhannes	1881-1883	Archimandrite Movses Geomrukdjian	1956–1960	archpriest Khoren Kouligian