Gregory V of Cilicia () was the
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...
of the
Armenian Apostolic Church
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, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
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, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
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, a ...
from 1193 to 1194.
Upon the death of Catholicos
Gregory IV the Young
Gregory IV Dgha ("the Child", or "the Young") was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church from 1173 to 1193. Despite his nickname, he was around forty when he assumed the role of Catholicos.
When Nerses IV the Gracious died, he attempted ...
his throne was occupied by his sister's son Vahram, who took the name Gregory V of Cilicia. He was still of a young age and according to the chronicler Smbat Sparapet 'he did not display the same obedience to everyone as previously when he was under a tutor, rather he ruled the patriarchy in a willful manner, as his mother's brother wished'. This caused envy amongst the more senior clergymen and brought many charges against him implying that he was not capable of being Catholicos. They brought these claims to
Prince Levon I of Armenia many times until he relented and had Gregory imprisoned in his palace at
Hromgla
Rumkale ( ''Roman Castle''), also known as Urumgala, is a fortress on the Euphrates, located in the province of Gaziantep and 50 km west of Şanlıurfa.
Its strategic location was already known to the Assyrians, although the present struct ...
. Word spread of his imprisonment and people attempted to free him to no avail. Catholicos Gregory was moved to the fortress of Kopitar and brought before Prince Levon. The agitated residents of Hromkla secretly sent Gregory word to prepare to escape and convinced the lord of the fortress to free him, but the Catholicos misinterpreted this message and attempted to free himself. He took linen and hung it out to descend from the fortress one night but fell to his death when the rope broke. His body was taken to Drazark where he was buried near the tomb of his uncle Gregory IV.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory 05 Of Cilicia
Catholicoi of Cilicia
Armenian Oriental Orthodox Christians
1194 deaths
Year of birth unknown
12th-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops