Karekin Ii

Karekin II, 71, spiritual leader of Turkey's 50,000-person Armenian Orthodox community. Born Bedros Kazanciyan in Istanbul, he studied for the priesthood in Jerusalem and then returned to Istanbul to teach and serve as head of an Armenian high school. He later served 15 years as patriarchal legate for the Far East and archbishop in Australia and New Zealand, and worked in Jerusalem as protector of holy places. In 1990, he became the 83rd Armenian Orthodox patriarch in Turkey.

With the pouring of holy oil and the release of 50 white doves, the head of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church on Tuesday ended a tour of Southern California's Armenian American community, a trip highlighted by the groundbreaking for a cathedral and the consecration of a new church's altar. The consecration with muron, or holy oil, of the pink marble altar at St.

The spiritual leader of about 150,000 Armenians living in Southern California, beginning a monthlong visit to the region that will include the consecration Sunday of a Santa Ana church, expressed hope Friday that the Soviet government, "in the context of true perestroika," will recognize the claims of Soviet Armenia to a disputed territory.

Welcomed by faithful supporters, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the highest ranking official in the Armenian Apostolic Church, has begun a tour of California that will include visits to schools and hospitals and a special service Sunday at the Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. Karekin's trip began Thursday with a procession at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Costa Mesa, where he was received by dozens of clergymen and enthusiastic parishioners.

In his first pontifical visit to the United States, the highest-ranking primate in the Armenian Apostolic Church arrived Thursday in Los Angeles with a mixed message of hope and hardship from his economically depressed country. The five-day pastoral visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, comes as the church celebrates the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. Armenia was the first nation to make Christianity the state religion.

Welcomed by faithful supporters, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the highest ranking official in the Armenian Apostolic Church, has begun a tour of California that will include visits to schools and hospitals and a special service Sunday at the Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. Karekin's trip began Thursday with a procession at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Costa Mesa, where he was received by dozens of clergymen and enthusiastic parishioners.

With the pouring of holy oil and the release of 50 white doves, the head of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church on Tuesday ended a tour of Southern California's Armenian American community, a trip highlighted by the groundbreaking for a cathedral and the consecration of a new church's altar. The consecration with muron, or holy oil, of the pink marble altar at St.

Armenian pontiff Catholicos Karekin II celebrated Christmas rites Thursday before 2,500 worshipers, including a woman who last saw him in 1983 in Cyprus and a 22-year-old convert who was impressed with the ceremonial pomp. Karekin II, based in Beirut, is one of two spiritual leaders in the world for Armenian Christians who follow the ancient rites. He began a 19-day California visit this week.

In another sign of growing concern about the content of Hollywood films, the spiritual leader of many of the world's Armenian Christians has called on filmmakers to turn from the depiction of violence, sex and moral permissiveness. On his fifth pontifical visit to the United States, His Holiness Karekin II of the Armenian Apostolic Church, headquartered in Beirut, said too many films distort the image of America overseas and encourage impressionable youths to copy what they see.

The spiritual leader of one arm of the Armenian Apostolic Church came to Southern California this week to highlight the devastation of his community in Lebanon and to ask local Armenians for their help. Karekin II said the situation in East Beirut, where the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia is based, has been overshadowed by ethnic unrest in the Soviet Union and by the earthquake that struck Soviet Armenia in 1988.

In his first pontifical visit to the United States, the highest-ranking primate in the Armenian Apostolic Church arrived Thursday in Los Angeles with a mixed message of hope and hardship from his economically depressed country. The five-day pastoral visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, comes as the church celebrates the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. Armenia was the first nation to make Christianity the state religion.

Karekin II, 71, spiritual leader of Turkey's 50,000-person Armenian Orthodox community. Born Bedros Kazanciyan in Istanbul, he studied for the priesthood in Jerusalem and then returned to Istanbul to teach and serve as head of an Armenian high school. He later served 15 years as patriarchal legate for the Far East and archbishop in Australia and New Zealand, and worked in Jerusalem as protector of holy places. In 1990, he became the 83rd Armenian Orthodox patriarch in Turkey.

His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos, or pope, of the Armenian Apostolic Church, began a three-week pontifical visit to California on Tuesday. In an interview this week with Times religion writer Larry B. Stammer, Karekin, 62, spoke about the threat of secularism, cultural issues for Armenian Americans, and the possibility of reunification with the other major Armenian Orthodox body, the Armenian Church of North America.

Armenian pontiff Catholicos Karekin II celebrated Christmas rites Thursday before 2,500 worshipers, including a woman who last saw him in 1983 in Cyprus and a 22-year-old convert who was impressed with the ceremonial pomp. Karekin II, based in Beirut, is one of two spiritual leaders in the world for Armenian Christians who follow the ancient rites. He began a 19-day California visit this week.

In another sign of growing concern about the content of Hollywood films, the spiritual leader of many of the world's Armenian Christians has called on filmmakers to turn from the depiction of violence, sex and moral permissiveness. On his fifth pontifical visit to the United States, His Holiness Karekin II of the Armenian Apostolic Church, headquartered in Beirut, said too many films distort the image of America overseas and encourage impressionable youths to copy what they see.

The spiritual leader of one arm of the Armenian Apostolic Church came to Southern California this week to highlight the devastation of his community in Lebanon and to ask local Armenians for their help. Karekin II said the situation in East Beirut, where the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia is based, has been overshadowed by ethnic unrest in the Soviet Union and by the earthquake that struck Soviet Armenia in 1988.

His Holiness Karekin II, the highest-ranking Armenian religious leader outside the Soviet Union, stood in the heart of one of Los Angeles' most thoroughly ethnic enclaves Wednesday and challenged young Armenian immigrants to forge a new identity that melds the best of American and Armenian cultures.

International chieftains of the Armenian Church, once sharply at odds, say both the tribulation of the devastating earthquake and a joint trip to the United States strengthened the brotherly ties between them. But in the church's U.S. branch, strains of a prolonged split still showed. Tendencies also appeared on one side here to minimize the high-level calls to unity.

International chieftains of the Armenian Church, once sharply at odds, say both the tribulation of the devastating earthquake and a joint trip to the United States strengthened the brotherly ties between them. But in the church's U.S. branch, strains of a prolonged split still showed. Tendencies also appeared on one side here to minimize the high-level calls to unity.

His Holiness Karekin II, the highest-ranking Armenian religious leader outside the Soviet Union, stood in the heart of one of Los Angeles' most thoroughly ethnic enclaves Wednesday and challenged young Armenian immigrants to forge a new identity that melds the best of American and Armenian cultures.