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AZG DAILY #120, 30-06-2009

ARCHBISHOP NERSES POZAPALIAN DIES

His Grace Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian, a devoted and worthy priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church, passed away at Nairi Medical Center on the morning of June 27. He was 72.

To recap, on February 18 Archbishop Pozapalian was attacked by an unknown person in his monastic room at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, as a result of which he received a severe injury and was taken to hospital in an unconscious state. According to the Information System of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, from that incident till his death, Archbishop Pozapalian was under a good care of the center's doctors.

A divine liturgy will be served at Holy Marturs Church (Kotayk marz) built by Archbishop Pozapalian, on June 30. His funeral will take place in the church yeard.

Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian was born in 1937 in Gregkhan, Cilicia. In 1939 his family moved to Beirut where he received his primary education. In 1957 the Pozapalians came to homeland where he continued his studies at the Gevorgian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In 1961 Pozapalian was ordained as a celibate priest by the Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his religious activities, Holy Marturs Church in memory of his parents Grigor and Makruhi Pozapalians was built in the village of Teghenik in Kotayk marz in 2000-2003. His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II awarded a Surb Grigor Lusavorich Order to him on the same occasion.

Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian published 10 books of poetry and sermons and was a lecturer at the Gevorgian Theological Seminary in Etchmiadzin.

In 2000-2006 Archbishop Pozapalian was Director of the Publishing Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Noyan-Tapan reports.