For example, within the Armenian Apostolic Church there are two catholicosates: the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin, Etchmiadzin-Armenia, and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, Antelias-Lebanon.
Decorative relief found on the church resembles that at the 7th century Church of Zvartnots at Etchmiadzin.
In 1999 he was elected Catholicos of All Armenians at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, succeeding Karekin I.
He completely renovated the Cathedral at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and constructed the Church of St. Hripsime, which stands to this day.
Sympathizers of this established congregations independent of Etchmiadzin, declaring loyalty instead to the See based in Antelias in Lebanon.
Being a young sculptor, in 1964, Suren Nazaryan received permission from Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazgen I, to create the bas-reliefs of the five most important and famous cathedrals of Armenian architecture (St. Hripsime, Etchmiadzin, Zvartnots, Holy Cross Akhthamar, and Ani) for the throne hall of Catholicos’s residence.