YEREVAN.- Armenia’s Ambassador to Israel will attend the funeral of Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Tigran Balayan, spokesperson for Armenian MFA, told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan, Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Bishop Markos Hovhannisyan, Primate of the Diocese of Gegharkunik, have left for Jerusalem as well. The funeral will take place on October 22.

Torkom II passed away on October 12 at the age of 93 and after a long illness. 

Archbishop Manoogian was born in 1919 in a refugee camp near the desert town of Baquba, north of Baghdad, Iraq.

His Beatitude played a vital role in the promotion of international ecumenical relations. He served on the Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States, and was Chairman of the Board of “Religion in American Life.” Also, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the “Appeal of Conscience Foundation.”