Armenian Catholic bishops gather in Rome to elect new patriarch

ROME, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church met in Rome to begin their second attempt at electing a patriarch for their church, UCANews reported.

The bishops had met in Lebanon for two weeks beginning June 22, but no candidate had garnered the two-thirds vote necessary to succeed Patriarch Grégoire Pierre XX Ghabroyan, who died in Beirut May 25.

In accordance with church law, after the unsuccessful election, the bishops turned to Pope Francis. He asked them to gather in Rome and begin the electoral process again Sept. 22 after two days of prayer and reflection.