NOTE: 3 Fundamental Library of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia

[...if he] act or conduct [himself] contrary [to these regulations], he shall fall under accusation. Art. 6. Only the General Assembly, and the Religious and Civil Councils, have the right to bring an accusation against the Patriarch. The accusing or complaining Council, having obtained permission from the Sublime Porte, shall request the Patriarch to convoke the General Assembly. If the Patriarch should resist this, the circumstance shall be made known a second time to the Sublime Porte, which thereupon, in accordance with the complaint, shall issue an order for the convocation of the General Assembly under the presidency of the eldest of the Bishops present in K. Polis [Constantinople]. The General Assembly, electing from among its own [members] five ecclesiastics and five laymen, shall appoint an Investigating Committee composed of ten persons; but it is necessary that among these investigators no person from among the accusers or complainants be found. The Investigating Committee, after examining the accusations made, shall submit a report to the General Assembly, which shall decide the matter by secret ballot. The paper containing this decision must be signed by the members of the assembly who cast their votes in favor of the decision; and if thereby the resignation of the Patriarch has been decreed, the chairmen of the two Councils, going to the Patriarch together with the presiding Bishop, shall present the said paper to him; whereupon, having learned the express will of the Nation, [he] is obliged to tender his resignation. But if he should not wish to tender [it], the Sublime Porte is informed, which shall dismiss the Patriarch from office. [Armeno-Turkish version of the same:] [...his being found in an improper] state and action shall be deemed a culpability on his part. Article Six. The authority to accuse the Patriarch belongs exclusively to the General, or Religious, or Civil Councils; and the assembly that brings the accusation or complaint, after obtaining permission from the Sublime Porte, shall petition the Patriarch to convene the General Assembly. And in the event that the Patriarch refuses, the circumstance shall again be submitted to the Sublime Porte, and pursuant to the terms of the petition, an order and notification shall be issued by the Sublime Porte for the convocation of the General Assembly under the presidency of the eldest of the bishops present in Der-i Sa‘adet [Constantinople]; and the General Assembly, with the exclusion of the persons who bring the accusation or complaint, shall appoint from among itself an Investigating Commission composed of ten persons, five of whom shall be of the clergy and five of the laity. And upon this Commission’s thoroughly investigating the accusations that have occurred and submitting a report to the said Assembly, the matter shall be decided by secret ballot. If the document which contains this decision—and which must be signed with the signatures of those who have voted in favor of the said decision from among the members of the assembly—involves the resignation of the Patriarch, the secretaries of the two councils, proceeding to the Patriarch together with the Bishop, shall present the said document; and the aforementioned Patriarch, having thus become apprised of the explicit will of the nation, is obliged to resign;

[NOTE: A 2268 III = 17 =]