Vazgen I

Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Vazgen I also Vazken I of Bucharest, (Armenian: ?????? ? ???????????), born Levon Garabed Baljian (Armenian: ???? ??????? ???????? ???????; September 20, 1908 – August 18, 1994) was the Catholicos of All Armenians between 1955 and 1994, for a total of 39 years, the 4th longest reign in the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The following three served for 39 years as Catholicos of All Armenians or Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia: 1. * Peter I (1019–1058) — ?????? ? ???????? (Catholicos of All Armenians), 2. * Gregory II the Martyrophile (1066–1105) — ?????? ?. ???????? (Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia) and 3. * David IV (1590–1629), d. 1633 — ????? ? ???????????? (Catholicos of All Armenians).

The three longest reigning Catholicoi were: 1. * ) Nerses IV the Graceful (1166–1173) -- ????? ?????? ?. ??????? (????????), who served 53 years as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, 2. * ) Constantine I of Cilicia (1221–1267) -- ?????????? ?. ???????????, who served 46 years as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia and 3. * ) St.

Sahak I (387–428) -- ??. ????? ? ?????, who served 41 years as Catholicos of All Armenians. A native of Romania, he began his career as a philosopher, before becoming a Doctor of Theology and a member of the local Armenian clergy.

The leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church hierarchy in Romania, he became Catholicos in 1955, moving to the Soviet Union and residing in the Armenian SSR.

Vazgen I led the Armenian Church during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and was the first Catholicos in newly independent Armenia.