Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan dies after long illness
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan passed away on Friday at Holy Savior Armenian Hospital in Istanbul at the age of 63 after a long battle against an incurable disease, Arevelk reports.
He was the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian Orthodox community, succeeding Karekin II in 1998.
Mutafyan, officially known as Mesrob II, began suffering from dementia in 2008 and has been in a vegetative state since then.
Archbishop Aram Atesyan was appointed to serve as Patriarchal Vicar, as Mesrob II had to withdraw from his duties due to his illness. A new patriarch could not be elected as Turkish laws prohibit any elections while a standing patriarch is alive.