Death of Catholicos Azaria Jughayetsi (June 2, 1602)

Catholicos Azaria Jughayetsi was a renowned figure in the sixteenth century for his teaching and religious activities.

Also known as Shahkertsi, he was born in the village of Shahkert, of the province of Yernjak (Syunik). His religious activities extended from his birthplace to Aleppo and Sis.

He opened a school for archimandrites in Aleppo, where he also taught. Among his students were archimandrites Mesrop Tatevatsi, Hagop Zeituntzi, Hovhannes Antebtsi, who would be his successor as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and Mgrdich Kharperttsi.

He was the author of Commentary of Grammar. He also wrote several odes, mostly of religious content, seven of which have reached us.

Azaria Jughayetsi was coadjutor and successor to Khachadur II Yerazhishd (Musician), Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia (1560-1584). Both Catholicoi undertook negotiations with the Vatican, trying to obtain some political benefits for the Armenian people, which was exploited both in Armenia and in Cilicia, in exchange for certain religious concessions. Rome continued its traditional policy of demanding the incorporation of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Roman Catholic Church as a precondition for granting the expected assistance.

For continuing the negotiations with Rome, Catholicos Azaria Jughayetsi was deprived of his throne in 1586. After a short interval as Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (1591-1592), he returned to his throne in Sis in 1592. He started an all-Armenian fundraiser to collect money and free the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of its heavy debt to Arab creditors. He passed away on June 2, 1602, and was buried in the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Aleppo.