Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Archbishop Hagop Kelendjian (baptismal name Hagop) was born in 1955, in Kesab, Syria. He finished his primary education at the local schools and received his secondary education in Lebanon. 

In 1973, he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In 1974, he was ordained to the diaconate, and the following year, graduated from the seminary, successfully defending his final thesis entitled "Worship according to the Rules of the Armenian Church". Following his graduation, he was assigned to serve in the editorial office of the "Etchmiadzin" Monthly and in the Secretariat of the Pontifical Administration. 

In 1975, by the order of the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vasken I, of Blessed Memory, he was sent to Germany to further his studies at the Regensburg University.

In 1976, he was ordained as a celibate priest by Archbishop Hoosik Santourian and given the priestly name of Hagop. During his four years of study in Germany, he also served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian Community.

In 1980, successfully defending his thesis entitled "A Commentary on the Nativity", he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet). 

In 1983, Father Hagop defended his graduate University thesis entitled "The Ancient Sources of the Book of Genesis". 

In 1985, upon the successful defense of his doctoral thesis entitled "The Creation of the World According to Jahvistic and Priestly Traditions", he received the rank of Senior Archimandrite (Dzayragutyn Vardapet). 

In February 1984, Father Hagop was assigned to serve as the Locum Tenens of the newly-formed Armenian Diocese of Uruguay, while also serving as the General Director of the local Nersissian School for eight years.

In June 1990, he was elected to serve as the Primate of the Diocese of Uruguay, and on October 07 of the same year, was consecrated as a Bishop by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vasken I, of Blessed Memory. 

In 1988, he published his work entitled “The History and Doctrine of the Armenian Church”, in Spanish, and devoted it to the 80th birthday of His Holiness Vasken I. 

In 1994, he published the works entitled "Martin Luther; “Rebellion of a Devout Clergyman”, and in 1995 – “The Commentary of the Genesis”, and in 2000 – “Cohelet or the Book of Ecclesiastes”. 

In 2003, he published a collection of his articles entitled "On the Traces of Faith and Science" devoting it to the 1700th anniversary of the consecration of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. 

In June 2001, Bishop Hagop was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.