His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Nersissian, baptized Ktrij , was born in the village Voskehat, Etchmiadzin region, in 1951.

In 1965 he entered the Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and successfully graduated the Seminary in 1971. A year after graduating the Seminary he worked as a teacher in the Seminary and taught the subject "New Testament".

In 1970 he was ordained deacon, and in 1972 he was ordained as celibate priest. Afterwards upon the order of His Holiness Vazken I , Catholicos of All Armenians, of blessed memory, he left for Vienna to improve his knowledge in the Theological Faculty.

In 1975 upon the order of His Holiness Vazken I , Catholicos of All Armenians, of blessed memory, he left for Germany to serve as spiritual pastor, and meanwhile continued his education on Theology in the University of Bonn.

In 1979 he returned to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and afterwards left for Zagorsk to study in the Postgraduate Department of the Theological Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In March 1980 His Holiness Catholicos Vazken I appointed him assistant to the Vicar General of Araratian Pontifical Diocese. In June 1983 by the Pontifical Diocese of the Catholicos he was appointed the Vicar General of Araratian Pontifical Diocese.

On October 23, 1983 he was ordained Bishop in the Cathedral of the Mother See. In November 1992 he was granted the rank of Archbishop.

On November 30, 1998, upon the Pontifical order of His Holiness Karekin |, Catholicos of All Armenians, of blessed memory, His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Nersissian was appointed the Vicar General of the Catholicos and served as the Vicar General till July 4 , 1999. His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Nersissian is a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.

On October 27 in the result of the closed secret ballot held in the Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Archbishop Karekin Nersissian was elected in 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenins.