ARCHBISHOP KARAPET TUMANYAN

1948-1950 (Years of Leadership)

Archbishop Karapet Tumanyan was born in 1886, in Crimea peninsula, in Old Crimea. He received his primary education at the local parochial school. He studied at the Nersisyn Theological School of Tbilisi, Georgia; he successfully enrolled in a full course of study and graduated in 1904. 

He was ordained as a priest in 1913 and for 13 years incessantly served at the Armenian Church in Evpatoria.

In 1926, he moved to Simferopol, and served there as the Pastor at the local Armenian Church.

In 1945, he was ordained as a celibate priest in the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin and by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly was elected the member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.

On May 7, 1945, he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet), and on July 1, in the same year, he was consecrated as a Bishop by Gevorg VI Chorekchyan, Catholicos of All Armenians, and was appointed to serve as the Head of the Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Holy Church in Nor Nakhijevan.

In 1948, Bishop Karapet Tumanyan was appointed to serve as the Head of the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia. Upon the requests of the Diocesan Councils of the Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Holy Church in Nor Nakhijevan and the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia Bishop Karapet Tumanyan was granted the title of Archbishop by the especial Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

Archbishop Karapet Tumanyan served as the Head of the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia until the day of his death.

On January 22, 1950, he suddenly passed away from stroke. He was buried in the graveyard near the northern wall of the Cathedral of St. George in Tbilisi, Georgia.