PanARMENIAN.Net - The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon, convoked by the Holy Father in Rome on 22 and 23 September, has elected His Excellency Archbishop Raphaël François Minassian, titular of Caesaria in Cappadocia of the Armenians and ordinary for Armenian Catholic faithful of Eastern Europe, as Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, The Holy See said in a statement.
The Patriarch-elect has taken the name of His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian.
His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian was born on 24 November 1946 in Beirut. He studied at the Patriarchal Seminary of Bzommar (1958-1967) and at the Pontifical Gregorian University (1967-1973), where he also studied philosophy and theology. He attended a specialisation course in psycho-pedagogy at the Salesian Pontifical University.
On 24 June 1973 he was ordained a priest as a member of the Patriarchal Clergy Institute in Bzommar. From 1973 to 1982 he served as parish priest of the Armenian Cathedral in Beirut, and from 1982 to 1984, secretary to Patriarch Hovannes Bedros XVIII Kasparian. From 1984 to 1989 he was in charge of founding the parish complex of the Holy Cross in Zalka, Beirut.
From 1975 to 1989 h...
