Are Armenians Orthodox Christians? Armenian Apostolic Church: difference from the Orthodox. Key Aspects

I am not God knows what theologian.

Or rather, I am not a theologian at all. But every time I read in the blogosphere about the foundations of the Armenian Church, the compiler, editor and author of the book "Applied Religious Studies for Journalists" begins to speak in me.

And now, in connection with the Christmas holiday, I decided to analyze some of the most frequently encountered questions related to the Armenian Apostolic Church - the AAC.

Is the Armenian Church "Gregorian"?

Did the Armenians accept Christianity in 301?

Is the AAC Orthodox?

Are all Armenians the flock of the Armenian Apostolic Church?

Armenian Church is not Gregorian

The name "Gregorian" was coined in Russia in the 19th century, when part of Armenia was annexed to Russian Empire. It means that the Armenian Church originates from Gregory the Illuminator, and not from the apostles.

Why was this done?

And then, that when the church originates directly from the apostles, this means that its origins go straight to Christ. The ROC, however, can call itself apostolic with a big stretch, because it is known that Orthodoxy came to Russia from Byzantium, and relatively late - in the 10th century.

True, here the concept of the catholicity of the Church comes to the aid of the ROC, that is, its spatial, temporal and qualitative universality, which the parts possess to the same extent as the whole, that is, the ROC, being one of Orthodox churches, also, as it were, ascends directly to Christ, but we will not delve into theology especially - I noted this in fairness.

Thus, by making the Armenian Church “Gregorian”, the Russian Empire (where the church was not separated from the state, and therefore the ROC should have had all the advantages), seemed to deprive it of the grounds to elevate itself directly to Christ. Instead of Christ and his disciples, the apostles, Gregory the Illuminator was obtained. Cheap and cheerful.

Nevertheless, the Armenian Church all this time called itself the Apostolic Church (AAC), it was also called and called all over the world - with the exception of the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, well, and now Russia.

By the way, this is another misconception that has become very popular in recent years.

Armenians did not accept Christianity in 301

The doctrine of the Son of God began to spread in Armenia in the first century AD, of course. They even call the year 34, but I met articles that said that this, apparently, was 12-15 years later.

And so it was. When Christ was crucified, after which he died, resurrected and ascended, his apostle disciples went to different parts to spread his teachings. We know that, for example, Peter in his travels reached Rome, where he died, and the famous Vatican church of St. Peter.

And Thaddeus and Bartholomew - two of the 12 first apostles - went to the northeast, to Syria, from where they soon reached Armenia, where they successfully spread the teachings of Christ. It is from them - from the apostles - that the Armenian Church originates. That is why it is called "apostolic".

Both of them ended their lives in Armenia. Thaddeus was tortured: he was crucified and pierced with arrows. And it was on the very spot where the monastery of St. Thaddeus, or, in Armenian, Surb Tadei vank. This is in what is now Iran. This monastery is honored in Iran and every year thousands of pilgrims flock there. The relics of St. Thaddeus are kept in Etchmiadzin.

Bartholomew was also martyred. He brought the hand-made face of the Virgin to Armenia and built a church dedicated to her. In 68, when the persecution of Christians began, he was executed. Together with him, according to legend, two thousand Christians were executed. The relics of St. Bartholomew are kept in Baku, since the place of execution was the city of Alban or Albanopol, which is identified as modern Baku.

So Christianity began to spread in Armenia in the first century. And in 301, King Trdat proclaimed Christianity, which had been spreading throughout Armenia for about 250 years, as the official religion.

Therefore, it is correct to say that the Armenians adopted Christianity in the middle of the first century, and in 301 Christianity was adopted in Armenia as the state religion.

Is the AAC Orthodox?

Yes and no. If we talk about the theological foundations of the teaching, then it is precisely Orthodox. In other words, the Christology of the AAC, according to current theologians, is identical to Orthodoxy.

Yes, because the head of the AAC - Catholicos Karekin II - himself recently declared that the AAC is Orthodox. And the words of the Catholicos are a very important argument.

No - because according to Orthodox doctrine, the decisions of the seven Ecumenical Councils that took place from 49 to 787 are recognized. As you can see we are talking about a very long history. The AAC recognizes only the first three.

No - because Orthodoxy is one organizational structure with their autocephaly, that is, separate, independent churches. 14 autocephalous churches are recognized, there are also several so-called autonomous churches that are not recognized by everyone.

Why are the seven ecumenical councils so important? Because at each one decisions were made that were important for Christian doctrine. For example, at the first council they adopted the postulate that it was not necessary to observe certain Jewish rituals, at the second they adopted the creed (“creed”), at the third and fifth they condemned Nestorianism, at the seventh they condemned iconoclasm and separated the veneration of God and the worship of icons, and so on.

The Armenian Church adopted the decrees of the first three councils. The fourth ecumenical council, which is called Chalcedon, took place in 451. If you are familiar with the history of Armenia, then immediately remember that this year is known for the famous Battle of Avarayr, where Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan fought against Sasanian Persia for religious and state independence.

And since the clergy played essential role during the uprising that ended with the Battle of Avarayr, as well as after it, the clergy did not have the time and desire to send a delegation to the Ecumenical Council.

And this is where the problem turned out to be, because the Council adopted major decision about the nature of Christ. And the question was, is Christ a god or a man? If he was born of God, then he must be a god himself. But he was born from an earthly woman, therefore, he must be a man.

One theologian - Nestorius from the city of Caesarea (Syria) - argued that Christ is both God and man. These two entities coexist in one body due to the fact that it exists in two hypostases, which are in union and together create a “face of unity”.

And the other - Eutyches from Constantinople - believed that Christ is God. And point. There is no human essence in it.

The Council of Chalcedon found a certain middle line, condemning both Nestor's "right-deviating" line and Eutychius's "left-opportunist" line.

The decisions of this council were not accepted by six churches: Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Malankara Orthodox (in India). They began to be called "ancient Eastern Christian churches", or "ancient Orthodox churches".

So, according to this parameter, the AAC is an Orthodox Church.

All Armenians, by definition, are the flock of the AAC, just as all Jews are Jews.

This is also a delusion. Of course, the AAC is the largest and most influential church with two catholicosates in Etchmiadzin and Lebanese Antelias. But she's not the only one.

There is an Armenian Catholic Church. In fact, this is a Uniate church, that is, a church that combines elements of Catholicism and the AAC, in particular, the Armenian rite of worship.

The most famous congregation of Armenian Catholics is the Mkhitari congregation with the famous monastery on the island of St. Lazarus in Venice. Churches and monasteries of Armenian Catholics exist throughout Europe, including in Rome and Vienna (oh, what kind of liquor do the Viennese Mekhitarists prepare...).

In 1850, Pope Pius IX established the diocese of Artvin for Catholic Armenians. At the beginning of the 20th century, the diocese fell apart, leaving the flock in the care of the bishop, who was in Tiraspol. Yes, yes, Moldovan and Romanian Armenians, as well as Ukrainian ones, were also Catholics.

The Vatican even established an ordinariate for Catholic Armenians in Gyumri. In the north of Armenia, Catholics are called "frang".

There are also Protestant Armenians.

The Evangelical Armenian Church was established in Constantinople in the middle of the 19th century and now has parishes in various countries, uniting in three evangelical unions - the Middle East with its center in Beirut, France (Paris) and North America(New Jersey). There are also many churches in Latin America, Brussels, Sydney and so on.

They say that Protestant Armenians are called “ynglyz”, but I myself have not heard this.

Finally, there are Muslim Armenians. In Istanbul, under the patronage of the Hrant Dink Foundation, a major scientific conference was recently held, dedicated to the Armenians who converted to Islam.

Armenia is one of the few countries that has only one religion at the core of its religion. Basically even small countries with a small population have several religions. Such unity of the people of this country, of course, has a positive effect on the relations of citizens within the country. Therefore, many tourists are interested in the question, what is the religion of the Armenians?

There is only one religion in Armenia - Christianity. The Church of Armenia is officially called the Armenian Apostolic Church named after St. George the Illuminator. The church got its name thanks to the memory of the holy Apostle Thadeus and the holy Apostle Bartholomew, who preached the Christian religion in this country in the first century and in honor of the Illuminator George, with the help of whom the king of the country was baptized in the 301st century BC, as well as all the courtiers of the king and the whole people living in this country.

It is this church that is the most ancient Christian church among many other sacred parishes. In this…

The Christian world is so secularized that the European peoples, once the stronghold of evangelical values, are called post-Christian civilization. The secularity of society allows embodying the most phantasmagoric aspirations. The new moral values ​​of Europeans come into conflict with what religion preaches. Armenia is one of the few examples of fidelity to millennial ethno-cultural traditions. In this state, at the highest legislative level, it is evidenced that the centuries-old spiritual experience of the people is a national treasure.

What is the official religion in Armenia

More than 95% of the three million population of the country are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This Christian community is one of the oldest in the world. Orthodox theologians attribute the Transcaucasian community of believers to five other, so-called anti-Chalcedonian communities. The established theological definition does not give an exhaustive answer to the question of which religion in ...

The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yezidism and Frengi. Most of the inhabitants of Armenia are believers. It is believed that the most common religion is Christianity.

Christianity in Armenia

About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This church is one of the oldest in the world. Few people know that Armenia is the first Christian state in the world: in 301, faith in the King of Heaven and his son Christ became the state religion of the country. Bartholomew and Thaddeus are considered the first preachers here.

In 404, the Armenian alphabet was created, and in the same year the Bible was translated into Armenian, and in 506 the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine one, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.

Catholicism in Armenia

But Christianity is not the only religion whose adherents…

The Armenian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities. In 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. For many centuries there has been no church unity between us, but this does not interfere with the existence of good neighborly relations. At the meeting held on March 12 with the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Russia O.E. Yesayan, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted: “Our relations go back centuries... The closeness of our spiritual ideals, a single moral and spiritual system of values ​​in which our peoples live, are a fundamental component of our relations.”

Readers of our portal often ask the question: “What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Armenian Christianity”?

Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov, Doctor of Theology, Head of the Department of Eastern Christian Philology and Eastern Churches of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological University answers the questions of the Orthodoxy and World portal about pre-Chalcedonian churches, one of which is…

Articles - Non-Orthodoxy

Christianity in Armenia. Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) is one of the oldest Christian churches, which has a number of significant features that distinguish it from both Byzantine Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Refers to the ancient Eastern churches.

Many are mistaken in understanding the position that the Armenian Church occupies in Christian world. Some consider it to be one of the Local Orthodox Churches, while others, misled by the title of First Hierarch of the AAC (“Catholicos”), consider it to be part of the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, both of these opinions are wrong - Armenian Christians stand apart from both the Orthodox and the Catholic world. Although even their opponents do not argue with the epithet "Apostolic". After all, Armenia really became the first Christian state in the world - in 301 Great Armenia adopted Christianity as a state religion. A paramount role in this greatest...

This most important event in the history of the Armenian people took place in 301. The primary role in the adoption of Christianity was played by Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia, who became the first Catholicos of the Armenian Church (302-326), and the king of Armenia Trdat III (287-330).

According to the writings of Armenian historians of the 5th century, in 287, Trdat arrived in Armenia, accompanied by Roman legions, to return his father's throne. In the estate of Yeriza, Gavar Ekegeats. he performs the ritual of sacrifice in the temple of the pagan goddess Anahit.

One of the king's associates, Gregory, being a Christian, refuses to sacrifice to an idol. Then Trdat learns that Gregory is the son of Anak, the murderer of Trdat's father, King Khosrov II. For these "crimes" Gregory is imprisoned in the Artashat dungeon, intended for suicide bombers. In the same year, the king issues two decrees: the first of them commands the arrest of all Christians within Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to put to death ...

Protopresbyter Theodore Zisis

professor at the University of Thessaloniki

ARE ARMENIANS ORTHODOX?

VIEW OF ST. PHOTIOS…

History of the Armenian Church

(44-60 years).
Holy Tradition Armenian Church says that after the Ascension of Christ, one of his disciples, Thaddeus, arrived in Great Armenia with a Christian sermon. Among the many converted by him to the new faith was the daughter of the Armenian king Sanatruk - Sandukht. For the confession of Christianity, the apostle, along with Sandukht and other converts, were martyred in Shavarshan by order of the king.

Some time after preaching in Persia, the Apostle Bartholomew arrived in Armenia. He converted to Christianity the sister of King Sanatruk - Vogui and many nobles, after which, by order of Sanatruk, he was martyred in the city of Arebanos, which is located between the lakes Van and Urmia.

In the 1st century, the spread of Christianity in ...

The Armenian Apostolic Church is a very ancient church, which has a number of features. There are many myths about its essence in Russia. Sometimes Armenians are considered Catholics, sometimes Orthodox, sometimes Monophysites, sometimes iconoclasts. The Armenians themselves, as a rule, consider themselves Orthodox and even a little more Orthodox than other Orthodox churches, which in the Armenian tradition are usually called "Chalcedonian". And the truth is that there are three types of Armenian Christians: Gregorians, Chalcedonians and Catholics.

With the Catholics, everything is simple: these are the Armenians who lived in Ottoman Empire and who were converted to Catholicism by European missionaries. Many Catholic Armenians then moved to Georgia and now inhabit the regions of Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe. In Armenia itself, they are not numerous and live somewhere in the far north of the country.

With the Chalcedonians it is already more difficult. These include both Catholic Armenians and Orthodox Armenians. Historically, these are the Armenians who lived on the territory of Byzantium and recognized ...

[Full name - Armenian Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church; arm….

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Baptism of Armenia

Vladimir Akopdzhanov

Year 301 - official date proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in Armenia. This date is historical, dry and, to some extent, conditional. It is impossible to consciously accept faith in one day or a year for a whole state, people. The adoption of Christianity in Armenia did not take place immediately: it did not last for years, but for centuries. The faith of Christ has become an integral part of the Armenian soul and determined the historical fate of the people. The process of preaching the Word of God had a number of key points, without highlighting which the essence of the adoption of Christianity by the Armenian people cannot be understood. So, first things first.

According to Holy Tradition, the gospel in Armenia began in the middle of the first century by the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew (Tadeos and Bartuhimeos, in Armenian). It is this fact that explains that the Armenian Church is Apostolic. Unfortunately, in Russia they mistakenly use something else ...

Work on this difficult topic began last year, during a dialogue with the famous Italian scholar, specialist in the history and theology of the Eastern Churches, Giovanni Guaita (unfortunately, Mr. Guaita could not participate in the dialogue to the extent that he wanted) . Why did the editors of the magazine consider this topic relevant? Perhaps in the near future we will talk about a new axis of reference for the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and a significant part of its flock.

The term "axis of reference" means that external, actual-significant, correlated, with which, first of all, an individual or a community compares himself. Self-identification is, first of all, distinguishing oneself from the “other”, “the other”. In a changing world, it occurs continuously - including through conflict or cooperation, through polemical dialogue, through understanding the similarities and differences with the referent object. Contacts with other Churches, often possessing immeasurably greater resources in material and…

How does the Armenian Gregorian Church differ from the Orthodox Church? I have read a lot, but there is no clear answer anywhere. I am an Armenian, baptized in the Armenian Church. I live in Moscow, but very often I go to Orthodox church. I believe in God and I believe that first of all God should be in the soul of each of us.

Dear Anna, the Armenian Apostolic Church belongs to communities that are not too far away from us, but are not in complete unity either. Due to certain historical circumstances, but, by the way, not without some human sin, after the IV Ecumenical Council of 451, she was among those communities that are called Monophysite, who did not accept the truth of the Church that in a single hypostasis, in a single person, incarnated The Son of God combines two natures: Divine and true human nature, inseparable and inseparable. It so happened that the Armenian-Gregorian Church, once a part of the one Ecumenical Church, did not accept this teaching, but shared the teaching of the Monophysites, who recognize only one nature of the incarnate God-Word - Divine. And although it can be said that now the sharpness of those disputes of the 5th-6th centuries has largely receded into the past and that the modern theology of the Armenian Church is far from the extremes of Monophysitism, nevertheless, there is still no complete unity in faith between us.

For example, the holy fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon, which condemned the heresy of Monophysitism, are for us the holy fathers and teachers of the Church, and for the representatives of the Armenian Church and other "ancient Eastern churches" - persons either anathematized (most often), or at least not by doctrinal authority. using. For us, Dioscorus is an anathematized heretic, but for them - "like a saintly father." At least from this it is already clear which traditions the family of local Orthodox churches inherits, and which ones are those that are called ancient Eastern. There are quite noticeable differences between the ancient Eastern churches themselves, and the measure of Monophysite influence is very different: for example, it is noticeably stronger in the Coptic churches (with all due respect to Egyptian monasticism, one cannot fail to see among the Copts, especially among Coptic modern theologians, a completely distinct Monophysite influence), and its traces are almost imperceptible in the Armenian-Gregorian Church. But it remains a historical, canonical and doctrinal fact that for a thousand and a half years there has been no Eucharistic communion between us. And if we believe in the Church as the Pillar and ground of the truth, if we believe that the promise of Christ the Savior that the gates of hell will not prevail against Her has not a relative, but an absolute meaning, then we must conclude that either the Church alone is true, and the other not quite, or vice versa - and think about the consequences of this conclusion. The only thing that cannot be done is to sit on two chairs and say that the teachings are not identical, but in fact they coincide, and that the 1,500-year divisions stem solely from inertia, political ambitions and unwillingness to unite.

It follows from this that it is still impossible to take communion in turn in the Armenian, then in the Orthodox Church, and one should decide, and for this, study the doctrinal positions of one and the other Church.

Of course, it is impossible to formulate the theological doctrine of the Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church in a short answer, and you could hardly expect it. If you are seriously concerned about this problem, then I send you: from among the more serious theologians of today, to Priest Oleg Davydenkov and Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev on this topic.

Armenia is a Christian country. The national church of the Armenian people is the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which is approved at the state level. The Constitution of Armenia guarantees freedom of religion for national minorities living in Armenia: Muslims, Jews, Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Assyrians, Yezidis, Greeks and Molokans.

Religion of the Armenian people

Questions such as “what faith do Armenians belong to” or “what is the religion of Armenians” can be answered: the religion of Armenians is Christian, and according to faith, the Armenians are divided into:

• followers of the apostolic church;
• Catholics;
• Protestants;
• followers of Byzantine Orthodoxy.

Why did it happen? This is a historical fact. In ancient times, Armenia was sometimes under the rule of Rome, then Byzantium, which affected the religion of the people - their faith gravitated towards Catholic and Byzantine Christianity, and Crusades brought Protestantism to Armenia.

Armenian Church

The Spiritual Center of the AAC is located in Etchmiadzin with:

Permanent residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians;

the main cathedral;

Spiritual Academy.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church is the supreme spiritual head of all believing Armenians with full authority to govern the Armenian Church. He is the defender and follower of the faith of the Armenian Church, the guardian of its unity, traditions and canons.

The AAC has three hierarchal departments:

• Jerusalem Patriarchate;
• Patriarchate of Constantinople;
• Cilician Catholicosate.

Canonically they are under the jurisdiction Etchmiadzin administratively have internal autonomy.

Jerusalem Patriarchy

The Jerusalem Patriarchate (The Apostolic See of St. James in Jerusalem) with the residence of the Armenian Patriarch in the Cathedral of St. James is located in the old city in Jerusalem. All Armenian churches in Israel and Jordan are under his control.

The Armenian, Greek and Latin Patriarchates have the right to own certain parts of the Holy Land's Holy Sites, for example, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, The Armenian Patriarchate owns a dissected column.

Patriarchate of Constantinople

The Patriarchate of Constantinople was founded in 1461. The residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople is located in Istanbul. Opposite the residence stands the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God - the main spiritual center of the Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

All parishes are subject to him Armenian Patriarchy in Turkey and on the island of Crete. He performs not only church duties, but also secular ones - he represents the interests of the Armenian community before the Turkish authorities.

Cilician Catholicosate

The residence of the Cilician Catholicosate (Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia) is located in Lebanon in the city of Antelias. The Great House of Cilicia was created in 1080 with the emergence of the Armenian Cilician state. He stayed there until 1920. After the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the Catholicosate wandered for 10 years, and in 1930 finally settled in Lebanon. The Catholicosate of Cilicia is in charge of the dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Cyprus, countries Persian Gulf, Greece, USA and Canada.

The seat of the Cilician Catholicosate is the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

History of religion in Armenia

The history of the formation of Christianity in Armenia covered in legends that are historical facts and are documented.

Abgar V Ukkama

The rumor about Christ and his amazing healing abilities reached the Armenians during the earthly life of Christ. A legend has been preserved that the Armenian king of the state of Osroene with the capital of Edessa (4 BC - 50 AD), Abgar V Ukkama (Black), fell ill with leprosy. He sent with a letter to Christ court archivist Ananias. He asked Christ to come and heal him. The king instructed Ananias, who was a good artist, to paint Christ in case Christ refused the request.

Ananias handed a letter to Christ, he wrote an answer in which he explained that he himself would not be able to come to Edessa, since the time had come for him to fulfill That for which he was sent; at the end of his work, he will send one of his disciples to Abgar. Ananias took Christ's letter, climbed a high stone and began to draw Christ standing in a crowd of people.

Christ noticed this and asked why he was painting him. He replied that at the request of his king, then Christ asked to bring him water, washed himself and put a handkerchief to his wet face: a Miracle happened - the Face of Christ was imprinted on the handkerchief and the people saw it. He gave the handkerchief to Ananias and told him to hand it along with the letter to the king.

The king, having received a letter and a “not made by hands” Face, was almost healed. After Pentecost, the Apostle Thaddeus came to Edessa, completed the healing of Abgar, and Abgar converted to Christianity. "Miraculous" Face The Savior was placed in a niche above the city gates.

After the healing, Abgar sent letters to his relatives, in which he spoke about the miracle of healing, about other miracles that the Face of the Savior continued to work and urged them to accept Christianity.

Christianity did not last long in Osroene. Three years later, the king of Abgar died. During these years, almost the entire population of Osroene was converted to Christianity.

The name of Abgar V entered Christianity as the first ruler of the Christian state of the apostolic times, equated to the saints and is mentioned by priests during festive services:

• on the feast of the Transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands;
• on the day of memory of the Holy Apostle Thaddeus;
• on the day of memory of St. Abgar, the first king who believed in Jesus Christ.

The mission of the Apostle Thaddeus in Osroene lasted from 35 to 43 AD. The Vatican has a piece of ancient canvas on which this story is told.

After the death of Abgar V, the throne was taken by his relative, Sanatruk I. Having ascended the throne, he returned Osroene to paganism, but promised the citizens not to persecute Christians.

He did not keep his promise: the persecution of Christians began; all the male offspring of Abgar was exterminated; a heavy lot fell to the share of the Apostle Thaddeus and the daughter of Sanatruk, Sandukht, who were executed together.

Then Osroene was introduced into the Greater Armenia, which was ruled by Sanatruk I from 91 to 109.

In the year 44, the Apostle Bartholomew arrived in Armenia. His mission in Armenia lasted from 44 to 60 years. He spread the teachings of Christ and converted Armenians to Christianity, including many courtiers, as well as the king's sister, Vogui. Sanatruk was merciless, he continued to exterminate Christians. By his order, the apostle Bartholomew and Vogui were executed.

It was not possible to completely exterminate Christianity in Armenia. Since then, the Armenian Christian faith has been called “apostolic” in memory of Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who brought Christianity to Armenia back in the 1st century.

Armenian King Khosrov

King Khosrov ruled Armenia in the middle of the 2nd century. He was strong and smart: he defeated external enemies, expanded the borders of the state, and stopped internal strife.

But this did not suit the Persian king at all. In order to capture Armenia, he organized a palace conspiracy and the treacherous murder of the king. The dying king ordered to catch and kill all those who participated in the conspiracy, as well as their families. The murderer's wife fled to Rome with her young son Gregory.

The Persian king did not limit himself to the murder of Khosrov, he decided to exterminate his family as well. To save Khosrov's son, Trdat, he was also taken to Rome. And the Persian king achieved his goal and captured Armenia.

Grigory and Trdat

Years later, Gregory learns the truth about his father and decides to atone for his sin - he entered the service of Trdat and began to serve him. Despite the fact that Gregory was a Christian and Trdat was a pagan, he became attached to Gregory, and Gregory was his faithful servant and adviser.

In 287, the Roman emperor Diakletian sent Trdat to Armenia with an army to drive out the Persians. So Trdat III became the king of Armenia, and Armenia returned to the jurisdiction of Rome.

During the years of his reign, following the example of Diocletian, Trdat persecuted Christians and dealt cruelly with them. A brave warrior named George, who was canonized as a saint under the name George the Victorious, also fell into this vent. But Trdat did not touch his servant.

Once, when everyone was praising the pagan goddess, Trdat ordered Grigory to join the action, but he publicly refused. Trdat had to give the order to seize Gregory and return him to paganism by force; he did not want to kill his servant. But there were "well-wishers" who told Trdat who Gregory was. Trdat was furious, subjected Gregory to torment, and then ordered to be thrown into Khor Virap (deep pit), where they threw malicious enemies of the state, did not feed, did not drink, but left there until their death.

After 10 years, Trdat fell ill with an unknown disease. They tried to treat him the best doctors from all over the world, but without success. Three years later, his sister had a dream in which the Voice ordered her to release Gregory. She told her brother about this, but he decided that she had lost her mind, since the pit had not been opened for 13 years, and it was impossible for Grigory to remain alive.

But she insisted. They opened the pit and saw Gregory, withered, barely breathing, but alive (later it turned out that one Christian woman, through a hole in the ground, lowered water to him and threw bread). Gregory was pulled out, they informed him about the illness of the king, and Gregory began to heal Trdat with prayers. The news of the king's healing spread like lightning.

Adoption of Christianity

After the cure, Trdat believed in healing power Christian prayers, he himself converted to Christianity, spread this faith throughout the country, began to build Christian churches in which priests served. Gregory was given the title "Illuminator" and became the first Catholicos of Armenia. The change of religion took place without the overthrow of power and with the preservation state culture. This happened in 301. Armenian faith began to call "Gregorianism", the church - "Gregorian", and the followers of the faith - "Gregorians".

The significance of the church in the history of the Armenian people is great. Even at the time of the loss of statehood, the church took upon itself the spiritual leadership of the people and maintained its unity, led liberation wars and through its channels established diplomatic relations, opened schools, nurtured self-awareness and patriotic spirit among the people.

Features of the Armenian Church

The AAC is different from other Christian churches. It is generally accepted that it refers to monophysitism, recognizing only the divine principle in Christ, while Russian Orthodox - to dyophysitism, recognizing two principles in Christ - human and divine.

The AAC has special rules in observance of rituals:

• baptized from left to right;
• calendar - Julian;
• chrismation is connected with baptism;
• whole wine and unleavened bread are used for communion;
• congregate only clergy;
• Armenian letters are used on icons;
• profess in modern Armenian.

Armenian Church in Russia

Armenians have been living in Russia for many centuries, but they have preserved their cultural values ​​and this is the merit of the Armenian Church. In many cities of Russia there are Armenian churches, where there are Sunday schools, religious and secular events are held. Communication with Armenia is maintained.

The largest Armenian spiritual center in Russia is the new Armenian temple complex in Moscow, where the residence of the Head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese of the AAC (Patriarchal Exarch) is located, as well as the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord, made in the style of classical Armenian architecture, decorated with carvings inside on stone and Armenian icons.

The address of the temple complex, phone numbers, schedule of church services and social events can be found by searching: "Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow official website."

At present, according to the canonical structure of the unified Armenian Apostolic Church, there are two catholicosates - the Catholicosate of All Armenians, with the center in Etchmiadzin (arm. Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին / Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) and Cilicia (arm. Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ Կաթողիկոսություն / Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia), centered (since 1930) in Antilias, Lebanon. Under the administrative independence of the Catholicos of Cilicia, the primacy of honor belongs to the Catholicos of All Armenians, who has the title of Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The jurisdiction of the Catholicos of All Armenians includes all the dioceses within Armenia, as well as most of the foreign dioceses around the world, in particular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR. The Catholicos of Cilicia governs the dioceses of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus.

There are also two autonomous patriarchates of the Armenian Apostolic Church - Constantinople and Jerusalem, canonically subordinate to the Catholicos of All Armenians. The patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople hold the spiritual degree of archbishops. The Jerusalem Patriarchate is in charge of the Armenian churches of Israel and Jordan, and the Patriarchate of Constantinople is in charge of the Armenian churches of Turkey and the island of Crete (Greece).

Church organization in Russia

• Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese of Rostov Vicariate of the AAC Western Vicariate of the AAC

• Diocese of the South of Russia AAC North Caucasian Vicariate of the AAC

Spiritual degrees at the AAC

Unlike the Greek tripartite (bishop, priest, deacon) system of spiritual degrees of hierarchy, there are five spiritual degrees in the Armenian Church.

1. Catholicos/The bishop/ (has absolute authority to perform the Sacraments, including the Consecration of all spiritual degrees of the hierarchy, including bishops and catholicoses. The ordination and chrismation of bishops is performed in the concelebration of two bishops. The chrismation of the Catholicos is performed in the co-service of twelve bishops).
2. Bishop, Archbishop (differs from the Catholicos in some limited powers. A bishop can ordain and chrismate priests, but usually he cannot ordain bishops on his own, but only serve as a Catholicos in episcopal consecration. When a new Catholicos is elected, twelve bishops anoint him, elevating him to a spiritual degree).
3. Priest, Archimandrite(performs all the Sacraments except for the Consecration).
4. Deacon(serves in the Sacraments).
5. Dpir(the lowest spiritual degree obtained in episcopal ordination. Unlike a deacon, he does not read the Gospel at the liturgy and does not offer the liturgical cup).

Dogmatics

Christology

The Armenian Apostolic Church belongs to the group of Ancient Eastern churches. She did not participate in the IV Ecumenical Council for objective reasons and did not accept its decisions, like all the Ancient Eastern Churches. In its dogma, it is based on the decrees of the first three Ecumenical Councils and adheres to the pre-Chalcedonian Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who professed the One of the two natures of God the Word incarnate (miaphysitism). Theological critics of the Armenian Apostolic Church argue that its Christology should be interpreted as Monophysite, which the Armenian Church rejects, anathematizing both Monophysitism and Dyophysitism.

icon veneration

Among the critics of the Armenian Church, there is an opinion that in early period she was characterized by iconoclasm. Such an opinion could arise due to the fact that in general there are few icons in Armenian churches and there is no iconostasis, however, this is only a consequence of the local ancient tradition, historical conditions and the general asceticism of decoration (that is, from the point of view of the Byzantine tradition of icon veneration, when everything is covered with icons walls of the temple, this can be perceived as the "absence" of icons or even "iconoclasm"). On the other hand, such an opinion could have arisen due to the fact that believing Armenians usually do not keep icons at home. In home prayer, the Cross was used more often. This is due to the fact that the icon in the AAC must certainly be consecrated by the hand of the bishop with holy myrrh, and therefore it is more of a temple shrine than an indispensable attribute of home prayer.

According to critics of "Armenian iconoclasm", the main reasons for its appearance are considered to be the dominion in Armenia in the VIII-IX centuries of Muslims, whose religion forbids images of people, "monophysitism", which does not imply a human essence in Christ, and therefore, the subject of the image, as well as the identification of icon veneration with the Byzantine Church, with which the Armenian Apostolic Church had significant disagreements since the time of the Council of Chalcedon. Well, since the presence of icons in Armenian churches testifies against the assertion of iconoclasm in the AAC, the opinion began to be put forward that, starting from the 11th century, the Armenian Church converges with the Byzantine tradition in matters of icon veneration (although Armenia was under the rule of Muslims in subsequent centuries, and many The dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church are still in Muslim territories today, despite the fact that there have never been changes in Christology and the attitude towards the Byzantine tradition is the same as in the first millennium).

The Armenian Apostolic Church itself declares its negative attitude towards iconoclasm and condemns it, since it has its own history of combating this heresy. Even at the end of the 6th - beginning of the 7th centuries (that is, more than a century before the emergence of iconoclasm in Byzantium, VIII-IX centuries), preachers of iconoclasm appeared in Armenia. Dvina priest Khesu with several other clerics proceeded to the regions of Sodk and Gardmank, where they preached the rejection and destruction of icons. The Armenian Church ideologically opposed them, represented by Catholicos Movses, theologians Vrtanes Kertokh and Hovhan Mairagometsi. But the struggle against the iconoclasts was not limited to theology. The iconoclasts were persecuted and, captured by the prince of Gardman, went to the court of the Church in Dvin. Thus, intra-church iconoclasm was quickly suppressed, but found ground in the sectarian popular movements of the middle of the 7th century. and the beginning of the 8th century, with which the Armenian and Alvanian churches fought.

Calendar and ritual features

Staff of vardapet (archimandrite), Armenia, 1st quarter of the 19th century

matah

One of the ceremonial features of the Armenian Apostolic Church is the matah (literally “to bring salt”) or a charitable meal, mistakenly perceived by some as an animal sacrifice. The main meaning of the matah is not in sacrifice, but in bringing a gift to God in the form of showing mercy to the poor. That is, if it can be called a sacrifice, it is only in the sense of a donation. This is a mercy offering, not a blood sacrifice like the Old Testament or pagan ones.

The matah tradition is traced back to the words of the Lord:

Matah in the Armenian Apostolic Church is performed on various occasions, more often as gratitude to God for mercy or with a request for help. Most often, matah is performed as a vow for a successful outcome of something, for example, the return of a son from the army or recovery from a serious illness of a family member, and is also done as a petition for the repose. However, it is customary to make matah in the form of a public meal for members of the parish during major church holidays or in connection with the consecration of the church.

Participation in the rite of the clergyman is limited solely to the consecration of the salt with which matah is prepared. It is forbidden to bring an animal to church, and therefore it is cut by the donor at home. For a matah, a bull, a ram or a poultry are slaughtered (which is perceived as a sacrifice). The meat is boiled in water with the addition of consecrated salt. It is distributed to the poor or they arrange a meal at home, and the meat should not be left the next day. So the meat of a bull is distributed to 40 houses, a ram - to 7 houses, a rooster - to 3 houses. Traditional and symbolic matah, when a dove is used - it is released into the wild.

forward post

The advanced fast, currently unique to the Armenian Church, begins 3 weeks before Lent. The origin of fasting is associated with the fast of St. Gregory the Illuminator, after which he healed the sick king Trdat the Great.

Trisagion

In the Armenian Church, as well as in other Old Eastern Orthodox churches, unlike the Orthodox churches of the Greek tradition, the Trisagion Hymn is sung not to the Divine Trinity, but to one of the Hypostases of the Triune God. More often it is perceived as a Christological formula. Therefore, after the words “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal”, depending on the event celebrated at the Liturgy, an addition is made indicating this or that biblical event.

So in the Sunday Liturgy and at Pascha it is added: "... that you have risen from the dead, have mercy on us."

In the non-Sunday Liturgy and on the feasts of the Holy Cross: "... that he was crucified for us, ...".

In the Annunciation or Epiphany (Nativity and Baptism of the Lord): "... who appeared for us, ...".

In the Ascension of Christ: "... that he ascended in glory to the Father, ...".

On Pentecost (Descent of the Holy Spirit): "... that he came and rested on the apostles, ...".

Other…

communion

Bread in the Armenian Apostolic Church, when celebrating the Eucharist, according to tradition, unleavened is used. The choice of Eucharistic bread (unleavened or leavened) is not given dogmatic significance.

Wine when celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist, whole, not diluted with water, is used.

The consecrated Eucharistic bread (Body) is immersed by the priest into the Chalice with consecrated wine (Blood) and, broken into pieces by the fingers, is served to the communicants.

sign of the cross

In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the sign of the cross is three-fingered (similar to Greek) and performed from left to right (like the Latins). Other variants of the Sign of the Cross practiced in other churches are not considered “wrong” by the AAC, but are perceived as a natural local tradition.

calendar features

The Armenian Apostolic Church as a whole lives according to the Gregorian calendar, but communities in the diaspora, on the territory of churches using the Julian calendar, with the blessing of the bishop, can also live according to the Julian calendar. That is, the calendar is not given a "dogmatic" status. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, according to the status quo accepted between Christian churches that have rights to the Holy Sepulcher, lives according to the Julian calendar, like the Greek Patriarchy.

An important prerequisite for the spread of Christianity was the existence of Jewish colonies in Armenia. As you know, the first preachers of Christianity usually began their activities in those places where there were Jewish communities. Jewish communities existed in the main cities of Armenia: Tigranakert, Artashat, Vagharshapat, Zareavan and others. Tertullian in the book “Against the Jews”, written in 197, tells about the peoples who adopted Christianity: Parthians, Lydians, Phrygians, Cappadocians, - mentions about Armenians. This testimony is also confirmed by Blessed Augustine in his work Against the Manichaeans.

At the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd centuries, Christians in Armenia were persecuted by the kings Vagharsh II (186-196), Khosrov I (196-216) and their successors. These persecutions were described by the Bishop of Cappadocia Caesarea Firmilian (230-268) in his book The History of the Persecution of the Church. Eusebius of Caesarea mentions the letter of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, “On repentance to the brothers in Armenia, where Meruzhan was bishop” (VI, 46. 2). The letter dates from 251-255. It proves that in the middle of the III century in Armenia there was a Christian community organized and recognized by the Ecumenical Church.

Adoption of Christianity by Armenia

The traditional historical date for the proclamation of Christianity as "the state and only religion of Armenia" is 301. According to S. Ter-Nersesyan, this happened not earlier than 314, between 314 and 325, however, this does not negate the fact that Armenia was the first to adopt Christianity at the state level. St. Gregory the Illuminator, who became the first hierarch of the state Armenian Church (-), and the king of Greater Armenia, Saint Trdat III the Great (-), who before his conversion was the most severe persecutor of Christianity.

According to the writings of Armenian historians of the 5th century, in 287 Trdat arrived in Armenia, accompanied by Roman legions, to return his father's throne. In the estate of Yeriz, Gavar Ekegeats, when the king performs the ritual of sacrifice in the temple of the pagan goddess Anahit, Gregory, one of the king's associates, as a Christian, refuses to sacrifice to the idol. Then it is revealed that Gregory is the son of Anak, the murderer of the father of Trdat, King Khosrov II. For these "crimes" Gregory is imprisoned in the Artashat dungeon, intended for suicide bombers. In the same year, the king issues two decrees: the first of them orders to arrest all Christians within Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to put to death the hiding Christians. These decrees show how dangerous Christianity was considered for the state.

Church of Saint Gayane. Vagharshapat

Church of Saint Hripsime. Vagharshapat

The adoption of Christianity by Armenia is most closely associated with the martyrdom of the holy virgins of the Hripsimeans. According to legend, a group of Christian girls originally from Rome, hiding from the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, fled to the East and found refuge near the capital of Armenia, Vagharshapat. King Trdat, fascinated by the beauty of the virgin Hripsime, wished to take her as his wife, but met with desperate resistance, for which he ordered all the girls to be martyred. Hripsime and 32 friends died in the north-eastern part of Vagharshapat, the teacher of the virgins Gayane, together with two virgins, in the southern part of the city, and one sick virgin was tortured right in the winepress. Only one of the virgins - Nune - managed to escape to Georgia, where she continued to preach Christianity and was subsequently glorified under the name of St. Nino Equal-to-the-Apostles.

The execution of the Hripsimian virgins caused the king a strong mental shock, which led to a severe nervous illness. In the 5th century, the people called this disease "pig", which is why the sculptors depicted Trdat with a pig's head. The king's sister Khosrovadukht repeatedly had a dream in which she was informed that only Gregory, imprisoned in prison, could heal Trdat. Gregory, who miraculously survived after spending 13 years in the stone pit of Khor Virap, was released from prison and solemnly received in Vagharshapat. After 66 days of prayer and preaching Christ's teachings, Gregory healed the king, who, having thus come to faith, declared Christianity the religion of the state.

The previous persecutions of Trdat led to the actual destruction of the sacred hierarchy in Armenia. For consecration to the rank of bishop, Gregory the Illuminator solemnly went to Caesarea, where he was ordained by the Cappadocian bishops, headed by Leontius of Caesarea. Bishop Peter of Sebastia performed the ceremony of enthroning Gregory in Armenia to the episcopal throne. The ceremony took place not in the capital Vagharshapat, but in distant Ashtishat, where the main episcopal see of Armenia founded by the apostles has long been located.

Tsar Trdat, together with the whole court and princes, was baptized by Gregory the Illuminator and made every effort to revive and spread Christianity in the country, and so that paganism could never return. In contrast to Osroene, where King Abgar (who, according to Armenian tradition, is considered an Armenian) was the first of the monarchs to adopt Christianity, making it only the sovereign's religion, in Armenia Christianity became the state religion. And that is why Armenia is considered the first Christian state in the world.

To strengthen the position of Christianity in Armenia and finally move away from paganism, Gregory the Illuminator, together with the king, destroyed pagan sanctuaries and, in order to avoid their restoration, built Christian churches in their place. This began with the construction of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. According to legend, Saint Gregory had a vision: the sky opened up, a ray of light descended from it, preceded by a host of angels, and in the ray of light Christ descended from heaven and struck the Sandarametk underground temple with a hammer, indicating its destruction and construction on this place christian church. The temple was destroyed and covered up, in its place a temple dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was erected. Thus was founded the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church - Holy Etchmiadzin, which in Armenian means "the Only Begotten descended."

The newly converted Armenian state was forced to defend its religion from the Roman Empire. Eusebius of Caesarea testifies that Emperor Maximin II Daza (-) declared war on the Armenians, “long since the former friends and allies of Rome, moreover, this theomachist tried to force zealous Christians to sacrifice to idols and demons and this made them enemies instead of friends and enemies instead of allies ... He himself, together with his troops, suffered setbacks in the war with the Armenians” (IX. 8,2,4). Maximin attacked Armenia in last days of his life, in 312/313. For 10 years, Christianity in Armenia has taken such deep roots that for their new faith, the Armenians took up arms against the strong Roman Empire.

During the time of St. Gregory of Christ, the Albanian and Georgian kings accepted the faith, respectively making Christianity the state religion in Georgia and Caucasian Albania. The local churches, whose hierarchy originates from the Armenian Church, maintaining doctrinal and ritual unity with it, had their own catholicoses, who recognized the canonical authority of the Armenian primate. The mission of the Armenian Church was also sent to other regions of the Caucasus. Thus, the eldest son of Catholicos Vrtanes Grigoris set out to preach the Gospel to the country of the Mazkuts, where he later suffered martyrdom on the orders of King Sanesan Arshakuni in 337.

After a long hard work (according to legend, by Divine revelation), Saint Mesrop in 405 created the Armenian alphabet. The first sentence translated into Armenian was “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the understanding” (Proverbs 1:1). With the assistance of the Catholicos and the king, Mashtots opened schools in various places in Armenia. Translated and original literature originates and develops in Armenia. The translation activity was headed by Catholicos Sahak, who first of all translated the Bible from Syriac and Greek into Armenian. At the same time, he sent his best students to famous cultural centers of that time: Edessa, Amid, Alexandria, Athens, Constantinople and other cities for improvement in Syriac and Greek and translation of the works of the Church Fathers.

In parallel with the translation activity, the creation of original literature of various genres took place: theological, moral, exegetical, apologetic, historical, etc. The contribution of the translators and creators of Armenian literature of the 5th century to the national culture is so great that the Armenian Church canonized them as saints and every year solemnly celebrates the memory of the Cathedral of Holy Translators.

Defense of Christianity from persecution of the Zoroastrian clergy of Iran

Since ancient times, Armenia has been alternately under the political influence of either Byzantium or Persia. Starting from the 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion first of Armenia, and then of Byzantium, the sympathies of the Armenians turned to the west, to the Christian neighbor. Well aware of this, the Persian kings from time to time made attempts to destroy Christianity in Armenia and forcibly plant Zoroastrianism. Some nakharars, especially the owners of the southern regions bordering Persia, shared the interests of the Persians. Two political currents were formed in Armenia: Byzantophile and Persophile.

After the Third Ecumenical Council, the supporters of Nestorius, persecuted in the Byzantine Empire, found refuge in Persia and began to translate and distribute the writings of Diodorus of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia, which were not condemned at the Council of Ephesus. Bishop Akakios of Melitina and Patriarch Proclus of Constantinople warned Catholicos Sahak in their messages about the spread of Nestorianism.

In response letters, the Catholicos wrote that the preachers of this heresy had not yet appeared in Armenia. In this correspondence, the foundation of Armenian Christology was laid on the basis of the teachings Alexandrian school. The letter of St. Sahak, addressed to Patriarch Proclus, as a model of Orthodoxy, was read out in 553 at the Byzantine "Fifth Ecumenical" Council of Constantinople.

The author of the life of Mesrop Mashtots Koryun testifies that “in Armenia there were false books brought, empty legends of a certain Roman named Theodoros.” Upon learning of this, Saints Sahak and Mesrop immediately took steps to condemn the champions of this heretical teaching and destroy their writings. Of course, we were talking about the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia.

Armenian-Byzantine Church Relations in the Second Half of the 12th Century

Over the centuries, the Armenian and Byzantine churches have repeatedly made attempts to reconcile. For the first time in 654 in Dvin under Catholicos Nerses III (641-661) and the Emperor of Byzantium Constas II (-), then in the VIII century under the Patriarch of Constantinople German (-) and the Catholicos of Armenia David I (-), in the IX century under the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (-, -) and Catholicose Zechariah I (-). But the most serious attempt to unite the churches took place in the XII century.

In the history of Armenia, the 11th century was marked by the migration of the Armenian people to the territories of the eastern provinces of Byzantium. In 1080, the ruler of Mountainous Cilicia, Ruben, a relative of the last king of Armenia, Gagik II, annexed to his possessions flat part Cilicia and founded the Cilician Armenian Principality on the northeastern coast mediterranean sea. In 1198 this principality became a kingdom and existed until 1375. Together with the royal throne, the patriarchal throne of Armenia (-) also moved to Cilicia.

The Pope of Rome wrote a letter to the Armenian Catholicos, in which he recognized the Orthodoxy of the Armenian Church and, for the perfect unity of the two Churches, invited the Armenians to mix water into the holy Chalice and celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25th. Innocent II also sent a bishop's baton as a gift to the Armenian Catholicos. Since that time, the Latin baton appeared in the everyday life of the Armenian Church, which the bishops began to use, and the eastern Greek-Cappadocian baton became the property of the archimandrites. In 1145, Catholicos Gregory III turned to Pope Eugene III (-) with a request for political assistance, and Gregory IV - to Pope Lucius III (-). Instead of helping, however, the popes again offered the AAC to mix water into the holy Chalice, to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Christ on December 25, etc.

King Hethum sent a message from the pope to the Catholicos Constantine and asked him to answer it. The Catholicos, although he was full of respect for the Roman throne, could not accept the conditions that the pope proposed. Therefore, he sent a message to King Hethum, consisting of 15 points, in which he rejected the dogma of the Catholic Church and asked the king not to trust the West. The See of Rome, having received such an answer, limited its proposals and, in a letter written in 1250, offered to accept only the doctrine of the filioque. To answer this proposal, Catholicos Constantine in 1251 convened the III Council of Sis. Without coming to a final decision, the council turned to the opinion of the church leaders of Eastern Armenia. The problem was new for the Armenian Church, and it is natural that in initial period there could be different opinions. However, no decision was ever made.

The period of the most active confrontation between these powers for a dominant position in the Middle East, including power over the territory of Armenia, falls on the 16th-17th centuries. Therefore, from that time on, the dioceses and communities of the Armenian Apostolic Church were divided for several centuries on a territorial basis into Turkish and Persian. Both of these parts of a single church from the 16th century developed in different conditions, had a different legal status, which affected the structure of the hierarchy of the AAC and the relationship of various communities within it.

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1461, the AAC Patriarchate of Constantinople was formed. The first Armenian Patriarch in Istanbul was the Archbishop of Bursa Hovagim, who headed the Armenian communities in Asia Minor. The patriarch was endowed with broad religious and administrative powers and was the head (bashi) of a special "Armenian" millet (ermeni milleti). In addition to the Armenians themselves, the Turks included in this millet all Christian communities that were not included in the "Byzantine" millet that united Greek Orthodox Christians in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. In addition to the believers of other non-Chalcedonian Old Eastern Orthodox churches, Maronites, Bogomils and Catholics were included in the Armenian millet. Balkan Peninsula. Their hierarchy was administratively subordinate to the Armenian Patriarch in Istanbul.

Other historical thrones of the Armenian Apostolic Church - the Akhtamar and Cilician Catholicosates and the Jerusalem Patriarchate - also appeared on the territory of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Despite the fact that the Catholicoses of Cilicia and Akhtamar were higher in spiritual rank than the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was only an archbishop, they were administratively subordinate to him as an Armenian ethnarch in Turkey.

The throne of the Catholicoses of all Armenians in Etchmiadzin ended up on the territory of Persia, and the throne of the Catholicos of Albania, subordinate to the AAC, was also located there. The Armenians in the territories subordinated to Persia almost completely lost their rights to autonomy, and the Armenian Apostolic Church remained the only public institution here that could represent the nation and influence public life. Catholicos Movses III (-) managed to achieve a certain unity of governance in Etchmiadzin. He strengthened the position of the church in the Persian state, getting the government to stop bureaucratic abuses and abolish taxes for the AAC. His successor Pilipos I sought to strengthen the ties between the ecclesiastical dioceses of Persia, subordinate to Etchmiadzin, and the dioceses in the Ottoman Empire. In 1651, he convened a local council of the AAC in Jerusalem, at which all the contradictions between the autonomous thrones of the AAC, caused by political division, were eliminated.

However, in the second half of the 17th century, a confrontation arose between Etchmiadzin and the growing strength of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Egiazar of Constantinople, with the support of the High Porte, was proclaimed the Supreme Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in opposition to the legitimate Catholicos of All Armenians with the throne in Etchmiadzin. In 1664 and 1679, Catholicos Hakob VI visited Istanbul and negotiated with Egiazar on unity and delimitation of powers. In order to eliminate the conflict and not destroy the unity of the church, according to their agreement, after the death of Hakob (1680), the throne of Etchmiadzin was occupied by Egiazar. Thus, a single hierarchy and a single supreme throne of the AAC were preserved.

The confrontation between the Turkic tribal unions Ak-Koyunlu and Kara-Koyunlu, which took place mainly on the territory of Armenia, and then the wars between the Ottoman Empire and Iran led to huge destruction in the country. The Catholicosate in Etchmiadzin made efforts to preserve the idea of ​​national unity and national culture, improving the church-hierarchical system, but the difficult situation in the country forced many Armenians to seek salvation in a foreign land. By this time, Armenian colonies with a corresponding church structure already existed in Iran, Syria, Egypt, as well as in the Crimea and Western Ukraine. In the 18th century, the positions of the AAC were strengthened in Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, New Nakhichevan (Nakhichevan-on-Don), Armavir.

Catholic proselytism among Armenians

Simultaneously with the strengthening of the economic ties of the Ottoman Empire with Europe in XVII-XVIII centuries there was an increase in the propaganda activity of the Roman Catholic Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church as a whole took a sharply negative position in relation to the missionary activity of Rome among the Armenians. Nevertheless, in the middle of the 17th century, the most significant Armenian colony in Europe (in Western Ukraine), under powerful political and ideological pressure, was forced to accept Catholicism. AT early XVIII centuries, the Armenian bishops of Aleppo and Mardin spoke openly in favor of converting to Catholicism.

In Constantinople, where the political interests of East and West intersected, European embassies and Catholic missionaries from the Dominican, Franciscan and Jesuit orders launched an active proselytizing activity among the Armenian community. As a result of the influence of Catholics, a split occurred among the Armenian clergy in the Ottoman Empire: several bishops converted to Catholicism and, through the mediation of the French government and the papacy, separated from the AAC. In 1740, with the support of Pope Benedict XIV, they formed the Armenian Catholic Church, which became subordinate to the See of Rome.

At the same time, the ties of the Armenian Apostolic Church with the Catholics played a significant role in the revival of the national culture of Armenians and the spread of European ideas of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Since 1512, books in Armenian began to be printed in Amsterdam (the printing house of the Hagopa Megaparta monastery), and then in Venice, Marseille and other cities of Western Europe. First Armenian printed edition Holy Scripture was carried out in 1666 in Amsterdam. In Armenia itself cultural activities was very difficult (the first printing house opened here only in 1771), which forced many members of the clergy to leave the Middle East and create monastic, scientific and educational associations in Europe.

Mkhitar Sebastatsi, who was carried away by the activities of Catholic missionaries in Constantinople, founded a monastery in 1712 on the island of San Lazzaro in Venice. Adapting to local political conditions, the brethren of the monastery (Mkhitarists) recognized the primacy of the Pope; nevertheless, this community and its offshoot in Vienna tried to stay away from the propaganda activities of Catholics, being engaged exclusively in scientific and educational work, the fruits of which deserved national recognition.

In the 18th century, the Catholic monastic order of Antonites acquired great influence among the Armenians who collaborated with the Catholics. The Antonite communities in the Middle East were formed from representatives of the Ancient Eastern churches who converted to Catholicism, including from the AAC. The Order of Armenian Antonites was founded in 1715 and its status was approved by Pope Clement XIII. By the end of the 18th century, most of the episcopate of the Armenian Catholic Church belonged to this order.

Simultaneously with the development of the pro-Catholic movement on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian Apostolic Church created Armenian cultural and educational centers of national orientation. The most famous of them was the school of the monastery of John the Baptist, founded by the clergyman and scholar Vardan Bagishetsi. Armashi Monastery gained great fame in the Ottoman Empire. Graduates of this school enjoyed great prestige in church circles. By the time of the patriarchate in Constantinople, Zakariya II at the end of the 18th century, the most important area of ​​the Church's activity was the training of the Armenian clergy and the training of the necessary personnel for the management of dioceses and monasteries.

AAC after the annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia

Simeon I (1763-1780) was the first Armenian Catholicos to establish official relations with Russia. By the end of the 18th century, the Armenian communities of the Northern Black Sea region became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the advance of its borders in the North Caucasus. The dioceses located on Persian territory, primarily the Albanian Catholicosate with its center in Gandzasar, launched an active activity aimed at joining Armenia to Russia. The Armenian clergy of the Erivan, Nakhichevan and Karabakh khanates sought to get rid of the power of Persia and linked the salvation of their people with the support of Christian Russia.

With the beginning of the Russian-Persian war, the Bishop of Tiflis Nerses Ashtaraketsi contributed to the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments, which made a significant contribution to the victories of the Russian troops in Transcaucasia. In 1828, according to the Turkmanchay Treaty, Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire.

The activities of the Armenian Church under the rule of the Russian Empire proceeded in accordance with the special “Regulations” (“Code of Laws of the Armenian Church”), approved by Emperor Nicholas I in 1836. According to this document, in particular, the Albanian Catholicosate was abolished, the dioceses of which became directly part of the AAC. Compared to other Christian communities in the Russian Empire, the Armenian Church, due to its confessional isolation, occupied a special position, which could not be significantly affected by some restrictions - in particular, the Armenian Catholicos had to be ordained only with the consent of the emperor.

The confessional distinctions of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the empire, where Byzantine Orthodoxy dominated, were reflected in the name “Armenian-Gregorian Church” coined by Russian church officials. This was done in order not to call the Armenian Orthodox Church. At the same time, the “non-Orthodoxy” of the AAC saved it from the fate that befell the Georgian Church, which, being of the same faith with the Russian Orthodox Church, was practically liquidated, becoming part of Russian church. Despite the stable position of the Armenian Church in Russia, there were serious harassment of the AAC by the authorities. In 1885-1886. Armenian parochial schools were temporarily closed, and since 1897 they were transferred to the department of the Ministry of Education. In 1903, a decree was issued on the nationalization of Armenian church property, which was canceled in 1905 after mass indignations of the Armenian people.

In the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian church organization also acquired a new status in the 19th century. After Russian-Turkish war In 1828-1829, thanks to the mediation of the European powers, Catholic and Protestant communities were created in Constantinople, and a significant number of Armenians became part of them. Nevertheless, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople continued to be regarded by the High Porte as the official representative of the entire Armenian population of the empire. The election of the patriarch was approved by the sultan's letter, and the Turkish authorities tried in every possible way to put him under their control, using political and social levers. The slightest violation of the limits of competence and disobedience could lead to deposition from the throne.

Increasingly wider sections of society were involved in the sphere of activity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the AAC, and the patriarch gradually acquired significant influence in the Armenian Church of the Ottoman Empire. Without his intervention, the internal church, cultural or political issues of the Armenian community were not resolved. The Patriarch of Constantinople acted as an intermediary during Turkey's contacts with Etchmiadzin. According to the "National Constitution", developed in 1860-1863 (in the 1880s, its operation was suspended by Sultan Abdul-Hamid II), the spiritual and civil administration of the entire Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was under the jurisdiction of two councils: the spiritual (of 14 bishops chaired by the patriarch) and secular (out of 20 members elected by a meeting of 400 representatives of the Armenian communities).