Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Nerses Bedros XIX passed away on Thursday, June 25.

Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX was born in Cairo in 1940. He completed his primary and secondary studies at the College of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Cairo.
He felt the vocation to priesthood very early in life and thus he was sent to the Armenian Leonine Pontifical College in Rome in 1958 where he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He served the parish of the Armenian Catholic Cathedral of the Annunciation in Cairo from 1965 to 1968.

In 1990, he was ordained bishop of the Eparchy (Diocese) of Alexandria for Egypt and Sudan. He became member of the Synod of the Bishops of the Catholic Armenian Patriarch Church, and in October 1999, he was elected by the Bishops of the Holy Synod of the Catholic Armenian Synod, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics and took the name Nerses Bedros XIX.

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media director, staff and abouna.org site convey heartfelt condolences to his family, to the Catholic Armenian Patriarchate, and to the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient. May his soul rest in peace.