11:54, 11 April, 2013
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Kingdom of Jordan recognized the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on April 9. The “Armenpress” reporter in Jerusalem, member of St. James Convent Archimandrite Koryun Baghdasaryan stated this.
His Majesty King Abdullah the 2nd, King of Jordan, has signed a special ferman recognizing His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian as the 96th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
His Grace departed for Amman to have a meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah the 2nd and personally receive the ferman. The Grand Sacristan Archbishop Sevan Gharibian and a number of Archimandrites of St. James Convent accompanied His Eminence Nourhan Manoogian. The Palestinian authorities also recognized the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on February 28. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hosted the elected Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian and a number of priests accompanying him in his residence in Ramallah on the same day.
His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian has been elected the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on January 24. The patriarchal throne remained vacant since the former Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Rev. Archbishop Torkom Manoukyan passed away after long illness at the age of 93.
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian (baptismal name Boghos) was born in Aleppo, Syria on 22 July 1948. He received his primary education in the Haigazian School of Aleppo.
In 1961 he entered the Theological Seminary of Antellias to start his theological education. In 1966 he entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. On 27 July 1968 he was ordained to the diaconate.
In 1971 he was ordained a celibate priest by then Patriarch of Jerusalem Yeghishй Derderian and was given the priestly name of Nourhan. Following his ordination, he was appointed to serve as the Vice Dean of entered the Jarangavortz Theological Seminary from 1971 to 1972. In 1975 he was named as the Dean of the Seminary.
In 1972 and 1973 Father Nourhan continued his pastoral mission and served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian faithful in Geneva, Switzerland. Father Nourhan received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in 1973.
Following his service in Europe, Father Nourhan returned to the Middle East and from 1974 to 1980 served as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian community of Haifa, Israel.
In 1980 upon the invitation of then Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, he left for New York, New York and entered the General Theological Seminary, where he furthered his theological education. He graduated in 1983.
Remaining in the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, in 1994, he served as the spiritual pastor of the St. Gevork Church in Houston, Texas.
In 1998 he returned to Jerusalem where he served as the Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
On 14 December 1999 he was consecrated as a Bishop by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II. He was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II in 2000.
In 2009, His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, designated Archbishop Nourhan as Patriarchal Vicar. He currently serves at the Patriarchate supervising the activities of the Departments of the Patriarchate.