Defense of Doctoral Thesis in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
14.10.2016
On 13 October a defense of doctoral thesis was held under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The public defense was presented in the Gevorkian Theological Seminary Events Auditorium in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
For the ecclesiastical degree of Archimandrite (Vardapet), two members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin presented their theses. Rev. Fr. Samvel Mkhitaryan, Vicar General of the Diocese of Tavoush defended his thesis on: “Makaravank”; and Rev. Fr. Sipan Gevorkian, Spiritual advisor of the Pan Armenian Church Youth Association of the Armenian Church defended his these on: “Artificial insemination: the application of new methods and the Armenian Apostolic Church”.
The committee was chaired by His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Diocese of Tavoush. The committee members were His Grace Bishop Michael Ajapahyan, Primate of the Diocese of Shirak; His Grace Bishop Anushavan Jamkochyan, Dean of the Theological Faculty of Yerevan State University and Dean of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan; His Grace Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, Primate of the Diocese of Aragatsotn; and His Grace Bishop Gevork Saroyan, Dean of the Spiritual and Educational Institutions of the Mother See.
The cross-examiner of the oral defense for the Father Samvel was Ms. Arpenik Ghazaryan, Candidate of Historical Sciences; and Father Sipan’s cross-examiner was Associate Professor Susanna Davtyan.
Following the presentation of the theses, the review commission accepted the defenses and approved to grant the priests the rank of Archimandrite.
At the conclusion, the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his blessings and gratitude to the committee members and the two priests and their cross-examiners, for their reliable work.
With the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the priests will be granted the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet). The service will be held in the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church of Oshakan, in the nearest future.
