Page 70 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Hierarchy and Decision-making
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In spite of these difficulties, the Patriarchate
continues to maintain its rights and pri-
vileges regarding the church of the Holy
Sepulcher, the Chapel of the Ascension, the
Tomb of the Virgin Mary, and the Church of
the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Patriarchate
also possesses ancient churches, monasteries,
and religious sites in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa,
and Ramleh. The custodian churches perform
services in the Holy Places at appointed
times following well-established traditions.
The Patriarchate has jurisdiction over the Ar-
menian communities in Israel, Palestine, and
Jordan. The Armenian patriarch's throne is
established on the site where, it is believed,
the house of St. James the Just, the first
bishop of Jerusalem, stood. Hence, the Ar-
menian Patriarchate is also referred to as St.
James Monastery and the Apostolic See of
the Armenians in Jerusalem. The present
Patriarch, Nourhan Manougian is the 97th
Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem.
– The Patriarchate of Constantinople.
This Hierarchical See of the Armenian
Church was established in 1461 by Sultan
Mehmet II after Constantinople fell to the
Turks. The first patriarch was Hovagim I.
The Armenian patriarchs exercised their
ministry under complex conditions because
they were subject to the state’s constant inter-
vention into their internal affairs. Some of
the patriarchs were deposed and exiled for