His Beatitude 131st Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I

(August 27, 1932, Kessab, Syria-June 29, 1999, Echmiadzin, Armenia). 131st Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians of the Armenian Orthodox Church, 1995-1999. Born Neshan Sarkissian. Ordained Priest, Armenian Orthodox Church, 1952. Theologian. Bishop, 1964. Archbishop, 1973. Catholicos Co-Adjutor of Cilicia. Catholicos of Cilicia, 1983. Elected Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, April, 1995. Led his church during a period of reinvigoration following the collapse of the Soviet Union. A noted ecumenist.

Catholicos Karekin I Signature

His Holiness 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II Nersissian

(August 21, 1951, Voskehat, Armenia-Alive). 132nd Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Baptised as Ktrij. Ordained Deacon, Armenian Orthodox Church, 1970. Ordained celebate Priest, 1972. Served in Germany. Assistant to the Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, March, 1980. Bishop of the Aratian Pontifical Diocese, October 23, 1983. Archbishop, November, 1992. Vicar General of the Catholicos, November 30, 1998-July 4, 1999. Elected 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, October 27, 1999.

Catholicos Karekin II Nersissian Signature # 1

Catholicos Karekin II Signature # 2

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His Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim

(1965, Kamishly, Syria-Alive). Syrian Orthodox Archbishop and Patriarchal Vicar for the Eastern United States, 1996-Current. Professed Monk and ordained Priest, Syrian Orthodox Church, 1985. Secretary to the Patriarch and Teacher, St. Ephrem's Theological Seminary, Damascus, Syria, 1988-1989. Metropolitan Archbishop and Patriarchal Vicar of Eastern United States, January 28, 1996-Current.

His Holiness XVI Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje

(1924-November 5, 1981, Zion, Illinois). Supreme Head of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Identified as the reincarnation of the 15th Karmapa by Situ Pema Wangchuk Gyelpo I. Confirmed by the Dalai Lama and enthroned by Tai Situpa. The first Karmapa to visit the West. Established a monastic seat in Dordogne, France and Woodstock, New York.

(1985, Lhathok Region, Tibet-Alive). Supreme Head of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Known as "Apo Gaga." Recognized as the incarnate 17th Kyalwa Karmapa and confirmed by His Eminence Tai Situpa and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Enthroned at Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet, September 27, 1992. Noted for predicting and recognizing reincarnate lamas and Tulkus. Secretly left Tibet, December 28, 1999, and arived in Dharamsala, India. Now resides at the Gyuto Ramoche Temple in Dharamsala. Ordained as Novice Monk, July 24, 2002. Poet.

Rabbi Josef ben Ephraim Karo

(1488, Toledo, Spain-March 24, 1575, Safed, Palestine). Sephardic Jewish Rabbi and Halachic Scholar. Known as "Maran" ("Our Master") or "Ha-Mechaber" ("The Author"). Left Spain in 1492 and settled in Turkey. Emigrated to Palestine. Ordained Rabbi, c. 1538. Chief Rabbi of Safed, Palestine, 1538. Known for Beit Yosef, an encyclopedic commentary on Jacob ben Asher's Tur, a halachi code. His decisions were codified in his Shulchan Aruch. His commentary on Maimondies' code, Kesef Mishneh, is the standard on Maimonides' work. A Kabbalist who believed he was regularly visited by a maggid (angel). Fathered a child when he was 81 years of age.

Most Reverend Bishop Gregory Karotemprel, C.M.I.

(May 6, 1933, Chemmalamattam, India-Alive). Syro-Malabar Bishop of Rajkot, India. Ordained Priest, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, Syro-Malabar Rite, Roman Catholic Church, May 17, 1963. Syro-Malabar Bishop of Rajkot, India, January 22, 1983-Current.

Karunamayi Sri Vijayeswari Devi

(c. 1959-Alive). Hindu Teacher. Known as "Amma." Considered an embodiment of the Divine Mother. Lives in her forest ashram in Andhra Pradesh, India.