Armenian Church. Armenian Apostolic Church

The Christian world is so secularized that the European nations, which were once the stronghold of evangelical values, are called post-Christian civilization. The secularity of society makes it possible to embody 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 thousand-year-old ethnocultural 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 country's three million population are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This Christian community is one of the oldest in the world. Orthodox theologians classify the Transcaucasian community of believers among five other, so-called anti-Chalcedonian communities. The established theological definition does not provide a comprehensive answer to the question of what religion is in Armenia.

The Orthodox call the Armenians monophysites - recognizing in Christ one physical essence; Armenian Orthodox theologians accuse them of the opposite. These dogmatic subtleties are understandable only to theologians. Upon closer examination, it turns out that the mutual accusations are wrong. The official name of the community of believers in Armenia is “One Holy Ecumenical Apostolic Orthodox Armenian Church.”

The first Christian state in the world

A full decade before adoption Edict of Milan The Great, in 301, King Trdat III broke relations with paganism and proclaimed Christianity as the state religion. During a time of terrible persecution of the followers of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire, the ruler took a decisive and unexpected step. This was preceded by turbulent events in Transcaucasia.

Emperor Diocletian officially proclaims Trdat king of Armenia, which was part of the Roman province of Cappadocia. In 287, through mediation, he returned to his homeland and assumed the throne. Being a pagan, Trdat begins to zealously fulfill the command to begin the persecution of Christians. The brutal execution of 40 Christian girls makes a sharp turn in the fate of the king and his subjects.

Great educator of the Armenian people

The baptism of an entire people occurred thanks to the educational activities of St. Gregory. He was a descendant of the noble Arksaid family. For his confession of faith, Gregory suffered many torments. Through the prayers of Saint Trdat, he was punished with mental illness for torturing Christian women. Gregory forced the tyrant to repent. After this, the king was healed. Having believed in Christ, he was baptized along with his courtiers.

In Caesarea, the main city of Cappadocia, in 302, Gregory was elevated to the rank of bishop. After returning to Armenia, he begins to baptize the people, build churches and schools for preachers. In the capital of King Trdat III, by revelation from above, the saint founded a temple, which was later named Etchmiadzin. On behalf of the enlightener, the Armenian Church is called Gregorian.

Centuries of struggle

Christianity, as the official religion of Armenia, became an irritant to the rulers of neighboring Persia. Iran took decisive action to eradicate the new faith and introduce Zoroastrianism. This was greatly facilitated by pro-Persian landowners. From 337 to 345, Shapur II, having executed tens of thousands of Christians in Persia itself, made a series of devastating campaigns in Transcaucasia.

Shahinshah Yazdegerd II, wanting to strengthen his position in Transcaucasia, sent an ultimatum in 448. The Council of clergy and laity assembled in Artashat gave the answer that the Armenians recognize the secular power of the Persian ruler, but religion should remain inviolable. With this resolution, Armenia rejected the proposal to accept an alien faith. The uprising began. In 451, the largest battle in the history of the country took place on the Avarayr field. Although the defenders lost the battle, the persecution was stopped. After this, for another thirty years, Armenia fought for its faith, until in 484 a peace treaty was concluded with Persia, according to which the Armenians were allowed to freely practice Christianity.

Administrative structure of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Until 451 Armenian apostolic church represented one of the local communities of the united Christian Church. However, due to an incorrect assessment of the decisions of the fourth, a misunderstanding arose. In 506, the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine Church, which significantly influenced the history of the state, its political and social activities.

The main religion of Armenia is practiced on five continents by more than 9 million believers. The spiritual head is the patriarch-catalicos, whose title indicates that he is the spiritual leader of the Nation both in Armenia itself and of Armenians scattered throughout the world.

The residence of the Armenian Patriarch since 1441 is located in. The jurisdiction of the Catholicos includes dioceses in all CIS countries, as well as in Europe, Iran, Egypt, North and Australia and Oceania, vicariates in India and Far East. The Armenian patriarchs in Istanbul (Constantinople), Jerusalem and the Great House of Cilicia (modern Kozan in Turkey) are canonically subordinate to the Etchmiadzin Catholicosate.

Features of the Armenian Church

The Armenian Church is an almost mono-ethnic religious community: the vast majority of believers are Armenians. The small Udin community in northern Azerbaijan and several thousand Azerbaijani Tats belong to this denomination. For the Bosha gypsies assimilated by Armenians, wandering in Transcaucasia and Syria, this is also their native religion. Armenia retains the Gregorian chronology of the church calendar.

The liturgical features are as follows:

Bread for communion is used, as in the Catholic tradition, unleavened, and wine is not dissolved in water.
The Liturgy is served exclusively on Sundays and on special occasions.
The sacrament of unction is performed only on clergy, and immediately after death.

Divine services in Armenian churches are performed in the ancient language of Grabar, and the priest delivers the sermon in modern Armenian. Armenians cross themselves from left to right. Only the son of a priest can become a priest.

Church and State

In accordance with the Constitution, Armenia is a secular state. There is no specific legislative act determining that Christianity is the state religion of Armenia. However, the spiritual and moral life of society cannot be imagined without the participation of the Church. Thus, Serzh Sargsyan considers interaction between the state and the church to be vital. In his speeches, he declares the need to preserve the relationship between secular and spiritual power both at the present historical stage and in the future.

Armenian legislation establishes certain restrictions on the freedom of activity of other religious denominations, thereby showing which religion is dominant in Armenia. The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Freedom of Conscience,” adopted back in 1991, regulates the position of the Apostolic Church as a national religious association.

Other religions

The spiritual image of society is formed not only orthodox religion. Armenia is home to 36 parishes of the Armenian community catholic church, who are called "Franks". The Franks appeared in the 12th century along with the Crusaders. Under the influence of the Jesuits' preaching, a small community of Armenians accepted the jurisdiction of the Vatican. Over time, supported by missionaries of the Order, they united into the Armenian Catholic Church. The residence of the patriarch is located in Beirut.

The small communities of Kurds, Azerbaijanis and Persians living in Armenia profess Islam. In Yerevan itself in 1766 the famous

Many people have known since school about the split of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, since this is part of the course of history. From it we know some of the differences between these churches, the background that led to the separation, as well as the consequences of this separation. But few people know what the features of many other types of Christianity are, which various reasons separated from two main trends. One of the churches that is close in spirit to the Orthodox, but at the same time, is completely separate, is the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Orthodox Church is the second largest movement of Christianity after Catholicism. Despite common misconception, the split of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, although it had been brewing since the 5th century AD. e., occurred only in 1054.

The unofficial division of spheres of influence led to the emergence of two large regions of Europe, which, due to religious differences, took different paths of development. The Balkans and Eastern Europe, including Russia, fell into the sphere of influence of the Orthodox Church.

The Armenian Apostolic Church arose much earlier than the Orthodox Church. So, already in 41 it acquired some autonomy (autocephalous Armenian church), and officially separated in 372 due to the rejection of the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. It is noteworthy that this schism was the first major division of Christianity.

As a result of the Council of Chalcedon, four more churches stood out along with the Armenian one. Five of these churches are geographically located in Asia and northeast Africa. Subsequently, during the spread of Islam, these churches were isolated from the rest of the Christian world, which led to even greater differences between them and the Chalcedonian churches (Orthodoxy and Catholicism).

An interesting fact is that the Armenian Apostolic Church became the state religion back in 301, that is, it is the first official state religion in the world.

General features

Despite such an early separation from the unified Christian movement, there has always been cultural exchange between the Armenian and Orthodox churches. This is due to the fact that the partial isolation of Armenia during the spread of Islam separated it from a significant part of the Christian world. The only “window to Europe” remained through Georgia, which by that time had already become an Orthodox state.

Thanks to this, one can find some common features in the vestments of priests, the arrangement of temples, and in some cases, architecture.

Difference

However, it makes no sense to talk about the relationship between the Orthodox and Armenian churches. It is worth at least remembering the fact that The Orthodox Church in our time is very heterogeneous in internal structure . Thus, the Russian Orthodox, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Ukrainian churches are very authoritative, practically independent of the Ecumenical Patriarch (the formal head of the Orthodox Church).

The Armenian Apostolic Church is united, even despite the presence of an autocephalous Armenian Church, because it recognizes the patronage of the head of the Apostolic Church.

From here we can immediately move on to the question of the leadership of these two churches. Thus, the head of the Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church is the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians.

The presence of completely different titles for the heads of the church indicates that these are completely different institutions.

It is impossible not to note the difference in the traditional architecture of these two churches. Thus, Armenian cathedrals imagine a continuation and further development traditional oriental school of construction. This was largely influenced not only by cultural background, but also by climate and basic building materials. Armenian churches, which were built back in the Middle Ages, are usually squat and have thick walls (the reason for this was that they were often fortifications).

Although Orthodox churches are not an example of European culture, they also look completely different from Armenian ones. They usually stretch upward, their domes are traditionally gilded.

The rituals are radically different, as well as the times of holidays and fasts at these churches. So, the Armenian rite has national language, sacred books. It hosts a different number of people than the Orthodox. What is noteworthy is that the latter still does not have such a connection with the people, which is primarily due to the language of worship.

Finally, the most important difference, which was the reason for the Chalcedonian schism. The Armenian Apostolic Church is of the opinion that Jesus Christ is one person, that is, he has one nature. In the Orthodox tradition, it has a dual nature - it unites both God and man.

These differences are so significant that these churches considered each other to have heretical teachings, and mutual anathemas were imposed. Positive changes were achieved only in 1993, when representatives of both churches signed an agreement.

Thus, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Orthodox Church have the same origins, and also differ from each other to a lesser extent than the Armenian from the Catholic or Catholic from the Orthodox; in fact, they are different and absolutely independent spiritual institutions.

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, the common moral and spiritual value system 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's Theological University answers questions from the portal “Orthodoxy and the World” about pre-Chalcedonian churches, one of which is the Armenian Church.

– Father Oleg, before talking about the Armenian direction of Monophysitism, tell us about what Monophysitism is and how it arose?

– Monophysitism is a Christological teaching, the essence of which is that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one nature, and not two, as the Orthodox Church teaches. Historically, it appeared as an extreme reaction to the heresy of Nestorianism and had not only dogmatic, but also political reasons.

Orthodox Church confesses in Christ one person (hypostasis) and two natures - divine and human. Nestorianism teaches about two persons, two hypostases and two natures. M onophysites but they fell to the opposite extreme: in Christ they recognize one person, one hypostasis and one nature. From a canonical point of view, the difference between the Orthodox Church and the Monophysite churches is that the latter do not recognize the Ecumenical Councils, starting with the IVth Council of Chalcedon, which adopted the definition of faith (oros) about two natures in Christ, which converge into one person and into one hypostasis .

The name “Monophysites” was given by Orthodox Christians to the opponents of Chalcedon (they call themselves Orthodox). Systematically, the Monophysite Christological doctrine was formed in the 6th century, thanks primarily to the works of Sevirus of Antioch (+ 538).

Modern non-Chalcedonians are trying to modify their teaching, claiming that their fathers are unfairly accused of Monophysitism, since they anathematized Eutychus, but this is a change in style that does not affect the essence of the Monophysit doctrine. The works of their modern theologians indicate that there are no fundamental changes in their doctrine, no significant differences between the Monophysite Christology of the 6th century. and there is no modern one. Back in the 6th century. the doctrine of the “single complex nature of Christ” appears, composed of divinity and humanity and possessing the properties of both natures. However, this does not imply the recognition of two perfect natures in Christ - the divine nature and the human nature. In addition, monophysitism is almost always accompanied by a monophilite and mono-energist position, i.e. the teaching that in Christ there is only one will and one action, one source of activity, which is the deity, and humanity turns out to be its passive instrument.

– Is the Armenian direction of Monophysitism different from its other types?

- Yes, it’s different. Currently, there are six non-Chalcedonian churches (or seven, if the Armenian Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholics are considered as two, de facto autocephalous churches). Ancients Eastern churches can be divided into three groups:

1) Syro-Jacobites, Copts and Malabarians (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Sevirian tradition, which is based on the theology of Sevirus of Antioch.

2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholics).

3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).

The Armenian Church in the past differed from other non-Chalcedonian churches; even Sevier of Antioch itself was anathematized by the Armenians in the 4th century. at one of the Dvina Councils as an insufficiently consistent Monophysite. The theology of the Armenian Church was significantly influenced by aphthartodocetism (the doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Jesus Christ from the moment of the Incarnation). The appearance of this radical Monophysite teaching is associated with the name of Julian of Halicarnassus, one of Sevier’s main opponents within the Monophysite camp.

At present, all Monophysites, as the theological dialogue shows, come out from more or less the same dogmatic positions: this is a Christology close to the Christology of Sevier.

Speaking about the Armenians, it should be noted that the consciousness of the modern Armenian Church is characterized by pronounced adogmatism. While other non-Chalcedonian churches show considerable interest in their theological heritage and are open to Christological discussion, the Armenians, on the contrary, have little interest in their own Christological tradition. Currently, interest in the history of Armenian Christological thought is rather shown by some Armenians who consciously converted from the Armenian Gregorian Church to Orthodoxy, both in Armenia itself and in Russia.

– Is there currently a theological dialogue with the Pre-Chalcedonian churches?

– It is being carried out with varying success. The result of such a dialogue between Orthodox Christians and the Ancient Eastern (Pre-Chalcedonian) churches was the so-called Chambesian agreements. One of the main documents is the Chambesian Agreement of 1993, which contains an agreed text of Christological teaching, and also contains a mechanism for restoring communication between the “two families” of Churches through the ratification of agreements by the synods of these Churches.

The Christological teaching of these agreements aims to find a compromise between the Orthodox and Ancient Eastern churches on the basis of a theological position that could be characterized as “moderate monophysitism”. They contain ambiguous theological formulas that admit of a Monophysite interpretation. Therefore the reaction in Orthodox world there is no clear answer to them: four Orthodox Churches accepted them, some did not accept them with reservations, and some were fundamentally against these agreements.

The Russian Orthodox Church also recognized that these agreements are insufficient to restore Eucharistic communion, since they contain ambiguities in Christological teaching. Continued work is required to resolve unclear interpretations. For example, the teaching of the Agreements about wills and actions in Christ can be understood both diphysitely (Orthodox) and monophysitely. It all depends on how the reader understands the relationship between will and hypostasis. Is the will considered as a property of nature, as in Orthodox theology, or is it assimilated into hypostasis, which is characteristic of Monophysitism? The Second Agreed Statement of 1990, which underpins the 1993 Chambesian Accords, does not answer this question.

With the Armenians today, a dogmatic dialogue is hardly possible at all, due to their lack of interest in problems of a dogmatic nature. After in the mid-90s. It became clear that the dialogue with the non-Chalcedonians had reached a dead end, the Russian Orthodox Church began two-way dialogues - not with all the non-Chalcedonian Churches together, but with each one separately. As a result, three directions for bilateral dialogues were identified: 1) with the Syro-Jacobites, Copts and the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, who agreed to conduct dialogue only in this composition; 2) the Etchmiadzin Catholicosate and 3) with the Ethiopian Church (this direction has not been developed). The dialogue with the Etchmiadzin Catholicosate did not touch upon dogmatic issues. The Armenian side is ready to discuss issues social service, pastoral practice, various problems of social and church life, but shows no interest in discussing dogmatic issues.

– How are Monophysites accepted into the Orthodox Church today?

- Through repentance. Priests are accepted in their existing rank. This is an ancient practice; this is how non-Chalcedonites were received in the era of the Ecumenical Councils.

Alexander Filippov talked with Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov

The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yazidism and Frengi. The majority of Armenians are believers. It is believed that the most widespread religion is Christianity.

Christianity in Armenia

About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This 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 Heavenly King 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 Church, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.

Catholicism in Armenia

But Christianity is not the only one whose adherents live in Armenia. There are Armenian Catholics (there are about 36 parishes in total), which are called “Franks”. Franks (or Frengs) live in Northern Armenia. Initially they appeared together with the crusaders, but later, in the 16th-19th centuries, they began to be called Franks. Frankish Armenians are divided into three groups:
- HBO-francs,
- has-franks,
- Mshetsi-Franks.

The division of Catholics is not connected with the peculiarities of religious views, it is connected with the place of residence of adherents of a given faith.

Islam in Armenia

Now in Yerevan, in the Repository of Ancient Manuscripts named after Mashtots, more than 20 thousand handwritten texts are stored, which Mashtots himself began to collect. This collection of manuscripts represents a large historical and cultural value for the peoples of the whole world.

Spread of the Armenian Church

In the Promised Land, that is, on the territory of modern Israel, over seventy Armenian churches were built already from the sixth century, and in 638 the Armenian Patriarchate was founded, which united and became the head of all Eastern Orthodox dioceses. These are the Ethiopian, Syrian and Coptic dioceses.

For almost two thousand years, a miracle has occurred every year - the descent of the Holy Fire, which takes place on the eve of Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. From among the bishops of the Armenian Gregorian Holy Apostolic Church, a clergyman is annually elected who will be entrusted with receiving the Holy Fire.

Currently, according to the canonical structure of the united Armenian Apostolic Church, there are two Catholicosates - the Catholicosate of All Armenians, with its center in Etchmiadzin (Armenian. Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին / Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) and Cilician (Armenian) Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ Կաթողիկոսություն / Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia), with its center (since 1930) in Antilias, Lebanon. With the administrative independence of the Cilician Catholicos, the primacy of honor belongs to the Catholicos of All Armenians, who has the title of Supreme Patriarch of the AAC.

The Catholicos of All Armenians is under the jurisdiction of all dioceses within Armenia, as well as most foreign dioceses around the world, in particular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR. Under the administration of the Cilician Catholicos are the dioceses of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus.

There are also two autonomous patriarchates of the AAC - Constantinople and Jerusalem, canonically subordinate to the Catholicos of All Armenians. The Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople have the ecclesiastical degree of archbishop. 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

New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese Rostov Vicariate of the AAC Western Vicariate of the AAC

Diocese of the South of Russia AAC North Caucasus Vicariate of the AAC

Spiritual degrees in the AAC

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

Catholicos/Head of the Bishop/ (has absolute authority to perform the Sacraments, including the Consecration of all spiritual levels of the hierarchy, including bishops and Catholicoses. The ordination and anointing of bishops is performed in the concelebration of two bishops. The anointing of a Catholicos is performed in the concelebration of twelve bishops).
Bishop, Archbishop (differs from the Catholicos in some limited powers. The bishop can ordain and anoint priests, but usually cannot independently ordain bishops, but only concelebrate with the Catholicos in episcopal consecration. When a new Catholicos is elected, twelve bishops will anoint him, elevating him to a spiritual degree).
Priest, Archimandrite(performs all the Sacraments except Ordination).
Deacon(will serve in the Sacraments).
Dpir(the lowest spiritual degree received at 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, like all the Ancient Eastern churches, did not accept its resolutions. In its dogmatics, it is based on the decisions 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 AAC argue that its Christology should be interpreted as Monophysitism, which the Armenian Church rejects, anathematizing both Monophysitism and Dyophysitism.

Icon veneration

Among critics of the Armenian Church there is an opinion that in early period Iconoclasm was characteristic of her. This opinion could arise due to the fact that in general there are few icons and no iconostasis in Armenian churches, but this is only a consequence of the local ancient tradition, historical conditions and the general asceticism of the decoration (that is, from the point of view of the Byzantine tradition of icon veneration, when all the walls of the temple are covered with icons, this can be perceived as the “absence” of icons or even “iconoclasm”). On the other hand, such an opinion could have developed due to the fact that believing Armenians usually do not keep icons at home. The Cross was more often used in home prayer. This is due to the fact that the icon in the AAC must certainly be consecrated by the hand of the bishop with holy chrism, 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 that determined its appearance are considered to be the rule of Muslims in Armenia in the 8th-9th centuries, whose religion prohibits images of people, “monophysitism”, which does not presuppose 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 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, in matters of icon veneration, the Armenian Church converged with the Byzantine tradition (although Armenia in subsequent centuries was under the rule of Muslims, and many The dioceses of the AAC are still located in Muslim territories today, despite the fact that there have never been any 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 fighting 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, 8th-9th centuries), preachers of iconoclasm appeared in Armenia. The Dvina priest Hesu and several other clergy proceeded to the Sodk and Gardmank regions, where they preached the rejection and destruction of icons. The Armenian Church, represented by Catholicos Movses and theologians Vrtanes Kertoh and Hovhan Mayragometsi, ideologically opposed them. But the fight against the iconoclasts was not limited only to theology. The iconoclasts were persecuted and, captured by the Gardman prince, went to the court of the Church in Dvin. Thus, intra-church iconoclasm was quickly suppressed, but found soil in the sectarian popular movements of the mid-7th century. and the beginning of the 8th century, with which the Armenian and Alvan churches fought.

Calendar and ritual features

Vardapet (archimandrite) staff, Armenia, 1st quarter of the 19th century

Matah

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

The mataha tradition traces back to the words of the Lord:

When you make lunch or dinner, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, so that they do not invite you and you receive reward. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed that they cannot repay you, for you will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteous.
Luke 14:12-14

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

Participation in the rite of the clergy is limited solely to the consecration of the salt with which the matah is prepared. It is forbidden to bring an animal to church, and therefore it is slaughtered by the donor at home. For matah, a bull, ram or poultry is slaughtered (which is perceived as a sacrifice). The meat is boiled in water with the addition of blessed salt. They distribute it to the poor or host a meal at home, and the meat should not be left for 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 mate, when a dove is used, it is released into the wild.

Forward post

The advanced fast, currently unique to the Armenian Church, occurs 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 in other Ancient 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 Persons of the Triune God. More often this 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 one or another biblical event.

So in the Sunday Liturgy and on Easter it is added: “... who rose from the dead, have mercy on us.”

During the non-Sunday Liturgy and on the feasts of the Holy Cross: “... who was crucified for us, …”.

On the Annunciation or Epiphany (Christmas and Epiphany): “... who appeared for us, …”.

On the Ascension of Christ: “... that he ascended in glory to the Father, …”.

On Pentecost (Descent of the Holy Spirit): “... who came and rested on the apostles, …”.

And others...

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, the whole thing is used, not diluted with water.

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

Sign of the Cross

In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the sign of the cross is three-fingered (similar to the Greek) and is performed from left to right (like the Latins). The AAC does not consider other versions of the Sign of the Cross, practiced in other churches, to be “wrong,” but perceives them 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 the Christian churches that have rights to the Holy Sepulcher, lives according to the Julian calendar, like the Greek Patriarchate.

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

At the end of II - beginning of III centuries, Christians in Armenia were persecuted by the kings Vagharsh II (186-196), Khosrow I (196-216) and their successors. These persecutions were described by the Bishop of Cappadocian 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 the bishop” (VI, 46. 2). The letter dates from 251-255. It proves that in the middle of the 3rd century there was a Christian community organized and recognized by the Universal Church in Armenia.

Adoption of Christianity by Armenia

Traditional historical date The year 301 is considered to be the year of the proclamation of Christianity as “the state and only religion of Armenia”. According to S. Ter-Nersesyan, this happened no earlier than 314, between 314 and 325, but this does not negate the fact that Armenia was the first to adopt Christianity at the state level. Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who became the first first hierarch of the state Armenian Church (-), and the king Great 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 regain his father's throne. In the estate of Eriza, Gavar Ekegeats, when the king was performing a ritual of sacrifice in the temple of the pagan goddess Anahit, Gregory, one of the king’s associates, as a Christian, refused to sacrifice to the idol. Then it is revealed that Gregory is the son of Anak, the murderer of Trdat’s father, King Khosrow II. For these “crimes” Gregory is imprisoned in the Artashat dungeon, intended for death row. In the same year, the king issued two decrees: the first of them ordered the arrest of all Christians within Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second ordered the death penalty for harboring Christians. These decrees show how dangerous Christianity was considered for the state.

Church of Saint Gayane. Vagharshapat

Church of St. Hripsime. Vagharshapat

The adoption of Christianity by Armenia is closely associated with the martyrdom of the holy virgins Hripsimeyanki. 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, enchanted by the beauty of the maiden Hripsime, wanted to take her as his wife, but met 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 maidens Gayane, along with two maidens, died in the southern part of the city, and one sick maiden 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 Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Nino.

The execution of the Hripsimeyan maidens caused the king a strong mental shock, which led to a serious nervous illness. In the 5th century, people called this disease “pig disease,” which is why sculptors depicted Trdat with a pig’s head. The king's sister Khosrovadukht repeatedly had a dream in which she was informed that Trdat could only be healed by Gregory, imprisoned. Gregory, who miraculously survived after spending 13 years in a stone pit in Khor Virap, was released from prison and solemnly received in Vagharshapat. After 66 days of prayer and preaching the teachings of Christ, 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 virtual destruction of the sacred hierarchy in Armenia. To be ordained a bishop, Gregory the Illuminator solemnly went to Caesarea, where he was ordained by the Cappadocian bishops led by Leontius of Caesarea. Bishop Peter of Sebastia performed the ceremony of enthroning Gregory to the episcopal throne in Armenia. The ceremony took place not in the capital Vagharshapat, but in distant Ashtishat, where the main episcopal see of Armenia, founded by the apostles, had long been located.

King Trdat, together with the entire 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. Unlike Osroene, where King Abgar (who, according to Armenian legend, 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 the final departure 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, 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 site christian church. The temple was destroyed and filled up, and a temple dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was erected in its place. This is how the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church was founded - Holy Etchmiadzin, which translated from 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, “from ancient times former friends and allies of Rome, moreover, this god-fighter tried to force zealous Christians to make sacrifices to idols and demons and thereby made them enemies instead of friends and enemies instead of allies... He himself, together with his troops, suffered failures in the war with the Armenians” (IX. 8,2,4 ). Maximin attacked Armenia in last days of his life, in 312/313. Within 10 years, Christianity in Armenia took such deep roots that the Armenians took up arms against the strong Roman Empire for their new faith.

During the time of St. Gregory, the Alvan and Georgian kings accepted the faith of Christ, respectively making Christianity the state religion in Georgia and Caucasian Albania. 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 First Hierarch. The mission of the Armenian Church was also directed to other regions of the Caucasus. So the eldest son of Catholicos Vrtanes Grigoris went to preach the Gospel to the country of the Mazkuts, where he later accepted martyrdom by order of King Sanesan Arshakuni in 337.

After much hard work (according to legend, by Divine revelation), Saint Mesrop created the Armenian alphabet in 405. The first sentence translated into Armenian was “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of understanding” (Proverbs 1:1). With the assistance of the Catholicos and the Tsar, Mashtots opened schools in various places in Armenia. Translated and original literature originates and develops in Armenia. The translation work was led 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 the famous cultural centers of that time: Edessa, Amid, Alexandria, Athens, Constantinople and other cities to improve the Syriac and Greek languages and translate the works of the Church Fathers.

In parallel with translation activities, 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 every year solemnly celebrates the memory of the Council of Holy Translators.

Defense of Christianity from persecution of the Zoroastrian clergy of Iran

Since ancient times, Armenia was 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 their Christian neighbor. Well aware of this, the Persian kings from time to time made attempts to destroy Christianity in Armenia and forcibly impose Zoroastrianism. Some nakharars, especially the owners of the border with Persia southern regions, shared the interests of the Persians. Two political movements emerged in Armenia: Byzantophile and Persophile.

After the Third Ecumenical Council, supporters of Nestorius, persecuted in the Byzantine Empire, found refuge in Persia and began to translate and disseminate the works 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 about the spread of Nestorianism in their letters.

In his response messages, the Catholicos wrote that 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 of the Alexandrian school. The letter of Saint Sahak addressed to Patriarch Proclus, as an example 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 “false books brought to Armenia appeared, empty legends of a certain Roman named Theodoros.” Having learned about this, Saints Sahak and Mesrop immediately took measures to condemn the champions of this heretical teaching and destroy their writings. Of course, we were talking here about the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia.

Armenian-Byzantine church relations in the second half of the 12th century

Over the course of many centuries, the Armenian and Byzantine churches made repeated attempts to reconcile. For the first time in 654 in Dvina under Catholicos Nerses III (641-661) and Emperor of Byzantium Konstas II (-), then in the 8th century under Patriarch Herman of Constantinople (-) and Catholicos of Armenia David I (-), in the 9th century under the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (-, -) and Catholicos Zacharias I (-). But the most serious attempt to unite churches took place in the 12th century.

In the history of Armenia, the 11th century was marked by the migration of the Armenian people to the territory of the eastern provinces of Byzantium. In 1080, the ruler of Mountain Cilicia, Ruben, a relative of the last king of Armenia, Gagik II, annexed the plain part of Cilicia to his possessions and founded the Armenian Principality of Cilicia 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 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 25. Innocent II also sent a bishop's staff as a gift to the Armenian Catholicos. From that time on, the Latin staff appeared in use in the Armenian Church, which bishops began to use, and the Eastern Greco-Cappadocia staff became the property of the archimandrites. In 1145, Catholicos Gregory III turned to Pope Eugenius III (-) for political assistance, and Gregory IV turned to Pope Lucius III (-). Instead of helping, however, the popes again suggested that the AAC mix water into the Holy Chalice, celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25, etc.

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

The 16th-17th centuries saw 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. Therefore, from that time on, the dioceses and communities of the AAC were divided on a territorial basis into Turkish and Persian for several centuries. Since the 16th century, both of these parts of the single church developed in different conditions and had different legal status, which affected the structure of the AAC hierarchy and the relationships of various communities within it.

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1461, the Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church 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 uniting Greek Orthodox Christians in the territory Ottoman Empire"Byzantine" millet. In addition to believers of other non-Chalcedonian Ancient Eastern Orthodox churches, the Maronites, Bogomils and Catholics of the Balkan Peninsula were included in the Armenian millet. Their hierarchy was administratively subordinate to the Armenian Patriarch in Istanbul.

In the 16th century, other historical thrones of the AAC also found themselves on the territory of the Ottoman Empire - the Akhtamar and Cilician Catholicosates and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 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 the Armenian ethnarch in Turkey.

The throne of the Catholicos 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. Armenians in the territories subordinate to Persia almost completely lost their rights to autonomy, and the AAC here remained the only public institution that could represent the nation and influence social 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, obtaining from the government an end to bureaucratic abuses and the abolition of taxes for the AAC. His successor, Pilipos I, sought to strengthen the ties of the church dioceses of Persia, subordinate to Etchmiadzin, with 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 the political division were eliminated.

However, in the 2nd half of the 17th century, a confrontation arose between Etchmiadzin and the growing power of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Egiazar of Constantinople, with the support of the Sublime Porte, was proclaimed the Supreme Catholicos of the AAC, as opposed to the legitimate Catholicos of all Armenians with the throne in Etchmiadzin. In 1664 and 1679, Catholicos Hakob VI visited Istanbul and held negotiations with Yeghiazar on unity and division 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 Etchmiadzin throne was occupied by Yegiazar. 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 enormous 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 foreign lands. By this time, Armenian colonies with the corresponding church structure already existed in Iran, Syria, Egypt, as well as in Crimea and Western Ukraine. In the 18th century, the position of the AAC strengthened in Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, New Nakhichevan (Nakhichevan-on-Don), Armavir.

Catholic proselytism among Armenians

Simultaneously with the strengthening of economic ties of the Ottoman Empire with Europe in the 17th-18th centuries, there was an increase in the propaganda activity of the Roman Catholic Church. The AAC as a whole took a sharply negative position towards the missionary activities 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 convert to Catholicism. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Armenian bishops of Aleppo and Mardin openly spoke out 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 active proselytizing activities 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 Roman throne.

At the same time, the ties of the AAC with Catholics played a significant role in the revival of the national culture of the Armenians and the dissemination of European ideas of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Since 1512 in Amsterdam (printing house of the monastery of Agop Megaparta), and then in Venice, Marseille and other cities Western Europe Books began to be published in Armenian. The first Armenian printed edition of the Holy Scriptures was carried out in 1666 in Amsterdam. In Armenia itself, cultural activity was greatly hampered (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, fascinated by the activities of Catholic missionaries in Constantinople, founded a monastery on the island of San Lazzaro in Venice in 1712. Having adapted to local political conditions, the brethren of the monastery (Mkhitarists) recognized the primacy of the Pope; nevertheless, this community and its branch that arose in Vienna tried to remain aloof from the propaganda activities of Catholics, engaging exclusively in scientific and educational work, the fruits of which earned national recognition.

In the 18th century, the Catholic monastic order of the Antonites acquired great influence among Armenians who collaborated with Catholics. 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, the majority 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 AAC 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 scientist Vardan Bagishetsi. The Armashi monastery became very famous in the Ottoman Empire. Graduates of this school enjoyed great authority in church circles. By the time of the patriarchate of Zakaria II in Constantinople at the end of the 18th century, the most important area of activity of the Church was the training of the Armenian clergy and the preparation 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 among the Armenian Catholicos to establish official ties with Russia. By the end of the 18th century, the Armenian communities of the Northern Black Sea region found themselves 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 active activities aimed at the annexation of 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, Tiflis Bishop Nerses Ashtaraketsi contributed to the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments, which made a significant contribution to the victories of Russian troops in Transcaucasia. In 1828, according to the Treaty of Turkmanchay, 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 part of the AAC itself. 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 certain restrictions - in particular, Armenian Catholicos had to be ordained only with the consent of the emperor.

The confessional differences of the AAC in the empire, where Byzantine-style Orthodoxy dominated, were reflected in the name “Armenian-Gregorian Church”, invented by Russian church officials. This was done in order not to call the Armenian Church Orthodox. 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 was serious oppression of the AAC by the authorities. In 1885-1886 Armenian parish schools were temporarily closed, and since 1897 they were transferred to the Ministry of Education. In 1903, a decree was issued on the nationalization of Armenian church properties, which was canceled in 1905 after mass outrage among the Armenian people.

In the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian church organization in the 19th century also gained new status. After Russian-Turkish war 1828-1829, thanks to the mediation of European powers, Catholic and Protestant communities were created in Constantinople, which included a significant number of Armenians. Nevertheless, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople continued to be regarded by the Sublime Porte as official representative the entire Armenian population of the empire. The election of the patriarch was approved by the Sultan's charter, and the Turkish authorities tried in every possible way to bring 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 layers 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, internal church, cultural or political issues of the Armenian community were not resolved. The Patriarch of Constantinople acted as a mediator 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 authority of two councils: the spiritual (of 14 bishops chaired by the patriarch) and secular (of 20 members elected by a meeting of 400 representatives of Armenian communities).