Ignatius Bedros XVI Batanian

Styles of
Ignatius Petros XVI Batanian
Reference style His Beatitude
Spoken style Your Beatitude
Religious style Catholicos
Posthumous style N/A

Ignatius Bedros XVI Batanian (in Armenian Իգնատիոս Պետրոս ԺԶ Պաթանեան French Ignace Pierre XVI Batanian) (born in Mardin, Ottoman Empire on 15 February 1899 - died in Lebanon on 9 October 1979) was Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia from 1962 until his death in 1976. His election came as replacement of cardinal patriarch Gregory-Petros XV Agagianian, who had been assigned responsibilities with the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican.

He was born as Louis Batanian in Mardin, Ottoman Empire. He was ordained a priest in 1921 when he was 22 years old. He was consecrated as bishop on 29 October 1933, as Archbishop of Mardin of the Armenians (1933 – 1940) and titular Archbishop of Gabula (1940 – 1952). He was assigned Archbishop of Aleppo of the Armenians in northern Syria (1952 – 1959) and finally titular Archbishop of Colonia in Armenia (1959 – 1962).[1]

He became Auxiliary Bishop of Cilicia of the Armenians (in Lebanon) on 24 April 1959 to Catholicos Cardinal Gregory-Petros XV Agagianian until 4 September 1992, when he was elected as Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholics on that day.

His official reign as Patriarch continued from 15 November 1962 until 22 April 1976 when he resigned because of legal age. He constructed the new convent of Bzommar and the Armenian Catholic orphanage of Ainjar, Lebanon. He also witnessed as Patriarch the first two very difficult years of the Lebanese Civil War. He died on 9 October 1979 at the age of 80.

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Preceded by
Gregory-Petros XV Agagianian
Patriarch Catholicos of Cilicia
1962–1976
Succeeded by
Hemaiag Petros XVII Ghedighian