 Following the death of Patriarch Karekin II Kazanjian of Constantinople, Mesrob Mutafyan was elected locum tenens on 16 March 1998 to serve as the temporary leader of the Church until an election is held.Even though the Turkish local authorities demanded Archbishop of Üsküdar Şahan Sıvaciyan, the retired longest-serving archbishop, should succeed, Mesrob Mutafyan was finally elected the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople on 14 October, 1998 and could take office.During his apostolic journey to Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI visited also the Surp Asdvadzadzin Patriarchal Church in Kumkapı, İstanbul, where he attended a religious ceremony and held later talks with Patriarch Mesrob II on 30 November 2006.