Khrimian Hayrik
|
Catholicos Mkrtich I of Van |
|
|---|---|
| Catholicos of All Armenians | |
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A 1900 portrait of Khrimian by Yeghishe Tadevosyan
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| Church | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| See | Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin |
| Elected | 5 May 1892 |
| Installed | 26 September 1893 |
| Term ended | 29 October 1907 |
| Predecessor | Magar I |
| Successor | Matthew II Izmirlian |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Mkrtich Khrimian |
| Born |
4 April 1820 Van, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 29 October 1907 (aged 87) Etchmiadzin, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Buried | Etchmiadzin Cathedral |
| Nationality |
Armenian Ottoman subject (until 1893) Russian subject (from 1893) |
| Occupation | Priest, educator, publisher, traveler, thinker, journalist, activist |
| Previous post | Prelate of Van (1879–85) Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (1869–73) Prelate of Taron and Father of Surb Karapet Monastery (1862–68) Father of Varagavank (1857–62) |
Mkrtich Khrimian (classical Armenian: Մկրտիչ Խրիմեան, reformed: Մկրտիչ Խրիմյան; 4 April 1820 – 29 October 1907) was an Armenian Apostolic Church leader, educator, and publisher who served as Catholicos of All Armenians from 1893 to 1907. During this period he was known as Mkrtich I of Van (Մկտրիչ Ա Վանեցի, Mkrtich A Vanetsi).
A native of Van, one of the largest cities in Turkish (Western) Armenia, Khrimian became a celibate priest (vardapet) in 1854 after the death of his wife and daughter. In the 1850s and 1860s he served as the abbot of two important monasteries in Turkish Armenia: Varagavank near Van and Surb Karapet Monastery near Mush. During this period he established schools and journals in both monasteries. He served as Patriarch of Constantinople—the most influential figure within the Ottoman Armenian community—from 1869 to 1873 and resigned due to pressure from the Ottoman government which saw him as a threat. He was the head of the Armenian delegation at the 1878 Congress of Berlin. Returning from Europe, he encouraged Armenian peasants to follow the example of Christian Balkan peoples by launching an armed struggle for autonomy or independence from the Ottoman Turks.
Between 1879 and 1885 he served as prelate of Van, after which he was forced into exile to Jerusalem. He was elected as head of the Armenian Church in 1892, however, he was enthroned more than a year later and served in that position until his death. He opposed the Russian government's attempt to confiscate the properties of the Armenian Church in 1903, which was later canceled partly due to his efforts. Khrimian further endorsed the liberation movement of the Armenian revolutionaries.
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Wikipedia