Sepuh Sargsyan

Sepuh Sargsyan (traditional Eastern Armenian , Persian , in reformed orthography ) or Sebouh Sarkissian (Western Armenian , born in 1946 in Qamishli, Syria) is an Armenian Apostolic prelate who has served as archbishop of the Armenian Diocese of Tehran since 1999.

Biography Sebouh Sarkissian grew up in the Armenian community of Qamishli, where he went to the local Armenian School and learned Western Armenian as well as Arabic. In 1961 he entered the Armenian Seminary of the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias in Lebanon. He became a deacon in 1965 und was ordained a priest in 1968. From 1968 to 1970 he studied Arabic literature and Islamic philosophy at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. From 1970 to 1974, he worked as a pastor in Basra (Iraq) and taught Armenian language, history, and religion at an Armenian school. Sarkissian attended many conferences at the Seminary of Antelias for the dialogue between Islam and Christianity. He is the only priest of Cilicia with a degree in Islamic studies. He is the author of numerous religious books and articles published in Armenian, Arabic and English. On 24 July 2017 he was received in Stepanakert by the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan.

Political views In an interview with the Armenian-language daily Alik of Tehran in November 2016 Sargsyan expressed his concern over extremist, Islamist movements in the Middle East threatening the life of Christians but he pointed out that, by contrast, in Islamic Republic of Iran it is possible for Armenian Christians to live in peace. He also greeted "our brave people in Syria and especially the Syrian-Armenian children."

Sargsyan also criticized the Trump administration's Iran policy and prayed for the protection of Iran after Donald Trump increased sanctions.