Archbishop Arshak Khachatrian
Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Archbishop Arshak Khachatrian (baptismal name Samvel) was born on August 05, 1973, in the village of Voskehat, Armavir Region, where he received his primary education.
From 1980 to 1990, he studied at the local secondary school.
In 1990, he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In May 1996, he was ordained to the diaconate by His Grace Bishop Anania Arabajian.
In 1996, he graduated from the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
In 1997, he successfully defended his final thesis entitled “The Indian Armenian colony and the Embassy of the Armenian Church in India” and received an excellent mark.
From 1996 to 1997, he served as a secretary in the office of the Catholicosate of All Armenians.
On December 14, 1997, he was ordained as a celibate priest by His Eminence Archbishop Zaven Chinchinian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Egypt, and given the priestly name of Arshak.
In 1998, he was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the care and preservation of the buildings of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In March 1999, by the order of Patriarchal Vicar General Archbishop Karekin Nersissian, Fr. Arshak was appointed to serve as acting chief editor at the editorial office of “Etchmiadzin” the official monthly chronicle of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In January 2000, by the order of the newly elected Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, he was appointed to serve as the Head of the newly founded Department of Diocesan relations.
Since January 2001, he serves as the Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 2001, he defended his doctrinal thesis entitled “Nunciature in the Armenian Church”. On February 22, the same year, he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) by His Grace Bishop (now Archbishop) Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese.
From 2003 to 2005, he delivered lectures on the subjects of the Commentary on the New Testaments, Hagiography, and Liturgical Music at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
Since April 2004, by the order of the Armenian Patriarch, he has been the Representative Member of the Mother See at the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.
In August 2004, he presented his higher doctoral thesis entitled “Episcopal Power in the Armenian Church” for defense.
On September 26, 2004, Rev. Fr. Arshak was consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
From 2003 to 2007, His Grace Bishop Arshak studied at the Faculty of Law at the Yerevan State University.
Since 2001, His Grace is a Member of the Monastic Council of the Mother See; since 2004, he is a Member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.
In 2004, His Grace Bishop Arshak was appointed as a Co-chairman of the Liturgical Committee; and in 2005, he was appointed as a Chairman of the Doctrine Thesis Preparation and Defense Committee.
In 2006, His Grace participated in the preparation of the RA Law on "The Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church".
He is the author of a number of articles and 2 books: “Nunciature in the Armenian Church”, “Holy Etchmiadzin and St. Gregory the Illuminator in the Armenian Bibliography”.
On July 02, 2014, Bishop Arshak was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor at the RA National Academy of Sciences.
