Installed 1945 Name George of Successor Vazgen I | Predecessor Khoren I of Armenia Term ended 1954 | |
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Church Armenian Apostolic Church See Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin | ||
George VI of Armenia (Armenian: Գևորգ Զ. Չորեքչյան (Նորնախիջևանցի), Kevork VI Cheorektjian) (December 2, 1868 – May 9, 1954) was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church from 1945 to 1954.
The position had remained vacant from 1938 to 1945 because of the Joseph Stalin purges against religion, culminating in the murder of the then catholicos Khoren I in 1938. Etchmiadzin was ordered closed and the position of Catholicos of All Armenians remained vacant for 7 years from 1938 to 1945.
But when Stalin himself ordered easing of restrictions against religion, it was allowed for the assignment of Bishop Gevork as new Catholicos of All Armenians as Gevork VI (also known as George VI of Armenia) and was eventually allowed to return to Etchmiadzin.
During the Soviet regime, the press praised George VI as one of the most outstanding supporters of the "struggle for peace".
He died in 1954 and a new catholicos Vazgen I was elected in 1955 as Catholicos of All Armenians.
George VI is buried near the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.