A native of Egin (now
Kemaliye) in Turkey, Avetis Arpiarian was ordained a priest in March 1884. Arpirarian was appointed eparch of Karput on September 23, 1890. Avetis, like his relative
Arpiar Arpiarian, was an author and writer. For this connection and his literary activity, he was invited by the
Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II to assume the position of Patriarchal Vicar of Cilicia in 1898. During this time he had the title of Titular Archbishop of the
Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Anzarbus. From 1905 to 1909, the Archbishop was forced to live in exile in
Bzoummar. He was appointed eparch of Marash on August 27, 1911. During the Turkish persecution, the
Armenian Genocide, he managed to escape from
Marash only thanks to a
French military escort. Upon the death of
Boghos Bedros XIII Terzian, he was elected
Patriarch of Cilicia, the leader of the
Armenian Catholic Church on October 17, 1931, and confirmed by
Pope Pius XI on March 13, 1933. As patriarch, Arpiarian published a patriarchal magazine, which later became the official newspaper of the Armenian Catholic Church, called
Avedik in honor of its founder. The newspaper is still published monthly by the Armenian Catholic Church in
Beirut. From 1931 to 1937, he was simultaneously Archbishop of Beirut and Apostolic Administrator of the
Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Isfahan in
Iraq. He died in Bzoummar on October 26, 1937. ==References==