Khoren I Paroyian ( hy, Խորեն Ա. Բարոյան; 24 November 1914, in

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

– 9 February 1983, in

Antelias Antelias ( ar, أنطلياس) is a city in Lebanon in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Etymology The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(ant ...

) 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

Holy See of Cilicia The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilic ...

, from 1963 to 1983. He was born in Adalia, a settlement near the

Magaravank Sourp Magar ( hy, Սուրբ Մակար or Magaravank, Մակարավանք) is an Armenian monastery located in a forested valley in the Pentadaktylos range in Cyprus. It is ''de facto'' located in Northern Cyprus. The Magaravank stands at 530 ...

in Cyprus with the birth name of Mesrob. He had four brothers and a sister. His parents were originally from Kharpert. He was elected as Catholicos on 12 May 1963 after the death of

Zareh I Zareh I Payaslian ( hy, Զարեհ Ա. Փայասլեան) (14 February 1915, Marash – 18 February 1963, Beirut, Lebanon) was Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church from 1956 to 1963. Life Zareh I was born in 1915, in Marash, O ...

. In 1977, because of his poor health, Catholicos Khoren I decided to have a Coadjutor to ensure that after his death there would be no disruption in the management of the church. Karekin Sarkisian, the archbishop and Pontifical Legate of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States was elected as Catholicos Coadjutor (in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

աթոռակից կաթողիկոս), a post the latter served assisting Catholicos Khoren I in his duties. Upon the death of Khoren I, Karekin was installed as Catholicos Karekin II of Cilicia.

See also