KHACIATUR ARAKELEAN. -

One of the most illustrious figures among the Armenian pupils of the Urban College of Propaganda. Born in 1666 at Erzerum (Karin), he was ordained a priest in 1690 and went to Constantinople, where he acquired great fame as a preacher and zealous missionary. In 1699 he successfully carried out the pontifical mission to Etchmiadzin, to the Armenian patriarch Nahapet, the addressee of the brief *Graves, etsi non inconsuetos** (1698) of Innocent XII. Having returned to Constantinople, he was vicar of the patriarch until the persecution promoted by the schismatics Efrem and Avetik, intruded patriarchs. He hid, and in 1707 fled to Venice, where the S. Congregation of Propaganda entrusted him with the care of the Armenians. He remained there until his death, which occurred on 30 April 1740.

In 1719 K. was apostolic visitor of the Armenians of Transylvania. He knew how to unite the care of souls with teaching and sacred study. He trained several missionaries and brought to light various manuals of Armenian grammar, of philosophy, of theology, and of sermons. Although he had not dared to accept the invitation of the young Mechitar (v.) to become the head of his recent foundation, he later became its most enthusiastic defender and promoter.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: G. Torosseau, Vita dell'abate Mechitar (in Armenian), Venice 1901, pp. 333-60; M. Nurikhan, Il servo di Dio abate Mechitar, Rome 1914, pp. 216-18.

@incollection{ec7_khaciatur_arakelean, author = {Amaduni, Garabed}, title = {Khaciatur Arakelean}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {686}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/khaciatur-arakelean} }

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