Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan
Secretary-General of the Bible Society of Armenia
Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan (baptismal name Samvel) was born on January 19, 1955, in Tbilisi, Georgia. In 1958, he moved to Yerevan with his family.
From 1967 to 1973, he received his primary theological education at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
From 1970 to 1973, during his study years at the Seminary, he published "Tatev" student monthly newsletter.
In 1972, he was ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Housik Santourian and became a member of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 1973, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sion Manoukian and was given the priestly name of Yeznik.
From 1973 to 1975, Father Yeznik served as the Secretary of the "Etchmiadzin" Monthly.
In 1975, he successfully presented and defended his thesis entitled "Literary Legacy of Movses of Yerznka" and received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) by Archbishop Housik Santourian, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
From 1977 to 1981, Father Yeznik attended the Faculty of Theology of the National University of Athens.
From 1979 to 1989, he delivered lectures on Patristics, Introduction to the New Testament, and History of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Theological Seminary.
From 1980 to 1989, he served as the Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
In 1983, he had been a Delegate of the Armenian Church at the 6th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Vancouver, Canada.
From 1984 to 1990, he served as a member of the Commission "Program on Theological Education" of the WCC.
From 1985 to 1990, he directed the translational activities of the Bible into modern Armenian (published in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1994).
In 1987, Father Yeznik completed his PhD in Theological Studies at the University of Athens; successfully defending his doctorate entitled "The Standpoint of the Armenian Church Concerning Holy Icons."
From 1990 to 1991, he was assigned to serve as the parish priest and Abbott of the Haghpat Monastery; founding a Seminary with 23 students. While serving at the Monastery of Haghpat he delivered lectures on the history of the Armenian Church in the public schools in the city of Alaverdy. He also published the "Calendar of the Monastery of Haghbat" religious monthly newsletter.
On July 25, 1991, he was assigned to serve as the Vicar General of the Diocese of the Northern Caucasus.
From 1991 to 1999, he founded more than 20 parishes, and built 14 churches and chapels in the Diocese of Southern Russia. He published the following monthlies: "Our Church" (Krasnodar), "Khatchkar" - "Cross-stone" (Pyatigorsk); prayer books, calendars with Saints’ lives and other religious literature.
In 1993, he successfully presented and defended his doctorate thesis entitled "Christology of the Armenian Church" and received the rank of Senior Archimandrite (Dzayraguyn Vardapet) in the St. Mesrob Mashtots Church of Oshakan by Archbishop Shahe Ajemian.
On July 15, 1997, Father Yeznik was consecrated as a Bishop, by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, of Blessed Memory, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On January 13, 1997, by the Pontifical Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, of Blessed Memory, Bishop Yeznik was appointed to serve as the Primate of the Armenian Church Diocese of Southern Russia.
From 1999 to 2011, His Grace served as the General Secretary of the Inter-Church Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 2000, he was a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.
Since 2000, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Bible Society.
Since 2000, His Grace has continued his involvement in the Seminary by serving as the Chairman of the Commission of Gevorkian Theological Seminary studying the research works of the seminarians.
Since 2001, he has been the representative of the Armenian Church on the International Commission of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Dialogue.
From 2001 to 2003, he was a member of the Ritual Committee of the 12th General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC).
From 2002 to 2004, he organized and directed the Pastoral Seminary (the Accelerated Courses for the Priests) of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 2003, His Grace made a cycle of five television programs that represented the Bible.
From 2001 to 2003, he served as a Delegate of the Armenian Apostolic Church at the CEC 12th General Assembly in Trondheim, Norway.
Since 2003, he is a member of the Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC).
In 2003, Bishop Yeznik undertook the preparation of an encyclopedic dictionary of the Member Churches of CEC (published in English in 2003, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin).
In 2003, he undertook the serial publication of the "Library of Armenian Commentaries on the Books of the Holy Bible"; and is its chief editor.
Since 2004, he is the Co-Chair of the Churches in Dialogue Committee.
Since 2004, he is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Inter-Religious Council of CIS.
From 2006 to 2008, he was the Head of the Publishing Department of the Mother See.
In 2006, His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosyan was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
Since 2010, His Eminence is the Secretary-General of the Bible Society of Armenia.
From 2012 to 2015, Archbishop Yeznik was the Primate of the Diocese of Tavoush.
Archbishop Yeznik delivered reports in a variety of International Conferences (Holy Etchmiadzin, Yerevan, Rome, Milan, Fribourg, Geneva, Prague, etc.). He has published more than 20 books in Armenian, English, Russian, and Greek, as well as numerous scientific and oratorical articles and various magazine articles.
