Defense of Doctoral Thesis in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

13 Mar 2017

On March 13, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; a defense of doctoral thesis was held in the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Library of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Rev. Fr. Zakaria Baghumyan, a member of the Brotherhood of the Mother See; defended his thesis for the rank of Senior Archimandrite, on the subject: “Explanation of the works of St. Yevagr Pontatsi by Archimandrite Kirakos Yerznkatsi (studies and originals)”;.

The defense opened with the Lord’s Prayer, following which His Eminence Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Armenia; and Chairman of the Senior Doctoral Thesis Defense Committee; made opening remarks, noting the importance of the work, and detailing suggestions made during the pre-defense.

His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See presented the Commission’s opinion on the work. 
In his remarks Father Zakaria spoke on the purpose, modernity and scientific innovation of the thesis, then answered questions of the commission members.

The members of the review commission were His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahyan, Primate of the Diocese of Shirak and His Grace Bishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.

At the conclusion of the presentation of the thesis, the review commission accepted the defense and approved to grant Rev. Fr. Zakaria Bagumian the rank of Senior Archimandrite.  With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Father Zakaria will receive the rank of Senior Archimandrite at a service to be held in the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church of Oshakan, in the nearest future.