Enthronement of His Beatitude Sahak II as Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople

On 11 January 2020, His Beatitude Sahak II was enthroned as the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople at the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in Istanbul.

The Holy See was represented by a delegation comprising Bishop Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, OFM, Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul and President of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey, together with Monsignor Luis Miguel Munoz Cardaba, Chargé d'affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Turkey, and Reverend Father Hyacinthe Destivelle OP, Official of the Eastern Section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

At the end of the ceremony Bishop Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez read the message of Pope Francis and presented the Holy Father's gift, a pectoral cross.

In his address on behalf of the delegation Bishop Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez recalled the visits of Saint Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis to the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, as well as the visits to Rome of the predecessor of Patriarch Sahak II, His Beatitude Mesrob II.

Reverend Destivelle conveyed to the new Patriarch the greetings of Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who had sent a message to His Beatitude at the time of his election.

The enthronment ceremony was also attended by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, His Eminence Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Turkey, and Most Reverend Levon Boghos Zekiyan, Catholic Archbishop of Istanbul of the Armenians.