Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Infobox bishopbiog
name = Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian


caption = Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian, Primate of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church. ( _hy. Գերաշնորհ Տեր Սեպուհ եպիսկոպոս Չուլջյան, առաջնորդ Գուգարաց թեմի)
religion = Armenian Apostolic Church
See = Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Title = Primate of the Diocese of Gougark
Period = 1996 — present
Predecessor =
Successor =
ordination = 1987
bishops =
post =
date of birth = 24 March 1959
place of birth = Malatya, Turkey
date of death =
place of death =

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian ( _hy. Սեպուհ եպիսկոպոս Չուլջյան also Sepouh, Sepuh, Chuljian, Chuljyan) is the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.

Bishop Sepouh was born on 24 March 1959 in Malatya, Turkey. He received his primary education at the Nersisian College of Constantinople. In 1969, his family repatriated to Armenia and settled in the city of Gyumri, where he continued and finished his primary education.

In 1978 he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In 1979 he deferred the continuation of his education to serve in the Soviet army. After the completion of his tour of duty, he continued his studies at the Seminary. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1985, by the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Hoosik Santourian. He successfully defended his final theses entitled The Translation Works of Lukas of Kharpert in March 1986. Upon his graduation from the seminary he was appointed to serve in the Secretariat of the Pontifical Administration.

He was ordained as a celibate priest on 7 June 1987, the Feast of Pentecost, by Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian, and given the priestly name of Sebouh. Following his ordination, he continued his service in the Pontifical Administration.

By the appointment of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazgen I, he was appointed to serve as the Vice Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in September 1987. In November 1989, he successfully defended his Doctoral thesis entitled, “Fast in the Armenian Apostolic Church”, and received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet).

In 1990, Vazgen I appointed Father Sebouh to serve as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian faithful of Geneva Switzerland. He returned to Armenia in 1991, to serve as the Vicar of the Diocese of Shirak.

After the independence of the Republic of Armenia, vast administrative tasks were placed on the Armenian Church. In June 1995, Sebouh was appointed to serve as the Director of the Reserve Stewardship Inventory Committee. Also in that same year, he was appointed to serve as the Director of the committee responsible for tracking the return and receipt of all previously confiscated church buildings, land and construction projects from the Republic of Armenia to the Armenian Church. All churches, buildings, structures and properties belonging to the Church had been seized by the State during the time of the Communist Regime.

In 1996, he served as the representative of the Armenian Church on the Humanitarian Aid Central Committee of the Republic of Armenia. On 3 June 1996, by the Pontifical Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin I, he was appointed to serve as the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark.

Sebouh was consecrated as a Bishop on 15 June 1997 by Karekin I. He was appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church in November 2000.

In October 2000 he was elected as a member of the Armenian branch of the International Academy of Natural and Social Sciences.

Bishop Sebouh presently serves as the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark in Armenia.

External links

* [http://66.208.37.78/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4080&pid=85 Bishop Sebouh Chouljian]
* [http://66.208.37.78 The Armenian Church]