His Holiness Zareh I Payaslian (Armenian: Զարեհ Ա. Փայասլյան ) (14 February 1915, Marash - 18 February 1963, Beirut, Lebanon) was Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church from 1956 to 1963.
Born Simon Payaslian, he was the first graduate of the Seminary of Antelias of the Catholicossate. Before his election as Catholicos of Cilicia, he served as Primate of Aleppo, Syria for 16 years. He was elected during very acrimonious times between various Armenian political factions that had left the position vacant for around 4 years since the death of the Catholicos Karekin I in 1952.
He was elected in 1956 and tried to restore some harmony between various factions, particularly after the inter-Armenian strife in Lebanon in 1958.
During his reign, and in 1962, the Catholicosate became a full member of the World Council of Churches and sent observers to the Vatican Council II.
| Preceded by Karekin I (Cilicia) |
Catholicoi of the Holy See of Cilicia 1956–1963 |
Succeeded by Khoren I |