What calendar does the Armenian Church live by? Russian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches: historical facets of relationships

A year later, Armenian representatives did not take part in the IV Ecumenical Council, and the decisions of the Council were distorted by translation. The rejection of the conciliar decisions marked a gap between the Orthodox and anti-Chalcedonians among the Armenians, which shook the life of Christians in Armenia for more than two hundred years. The councils and Catholicoses of this period either reconciled or broke again with the Orthodox Church until the Council of Manazkert in the year, as a result of which the rejection of Orthodoxy prevailed among the Christians of Armenia for centuries. Since then, the Armenian Apostolic Church has existed as an anti-Chalcedonian community, in different times consisting of a number of administratively independent canonical fiefs recognizing the spiritual primacy of the Catholicos of “all Armenians” with a see in the Etchmiadzin Monastery. In its dogmatics, it adheres to the Christological terminology of St. Cyril of Alexandria (so-called miaphysitism); recognizes the seven sacraments; honors the Mother of God, icons. It is widespread in areas where Armenians live, being the largest religious community in Armenia and having a network of dioceses concentrated in the Middle East, the former USSR, Europe and America.

Historical sketch

Information relating to the most ancient period of the history of the Armenian Church is scarce. The main reason for this is that the Armenian alphabet was created only at the beginning of the century. The history of the first centuries of the existence of the Armenian Church was passed down orally from generation to generation and only in the 5th century was it recorded in writing in historiographical and hagiographical literature.

A number of historical accounts (in Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Latin languages) confirm the fact that Christianity in Armenia was preached by the holy apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who were thus the founders of the Church in Armenia.

According to the Holy Tradition of the Armenian Church, after the Ascension of the Savior, one of His disciples, Thaddeus, arriving in Edessa, healed the king of Osroene Abgar from leprosy, ordained Addaeus as a bishop and went to Greater Armenia preaching the Word of God. Among the many converts to Christ by him was the daughter of the Armenian king Sanatruk Sandukht. The apostle, along with the princess and other converts, accepted the confession of Christianity by order of the king. martyrdom in Shavarshan, in Gavar Artaz.

A few years later, in the 29th year of the reign of Sanatruk, the Apostle Bartholomew, after preaching in Persia, arrived in Armenia. He converted the sister of King Vogui and many nobles to Christ, after which, by order of Sanatruk, he accepted martyrdom in the city of Arebanos, which is located between lakes Van and Urmia.

A fragment of a historical work has reached us, telling about the martyrdom of Sts. Voskeans and Sukiaseans in Armenia at the end - beginning of centuries. The author refers to the "Word" of Tatian (II century), who was well acquainted with the history of the apostles and the first Christian preachers. According to this scripture, the disciples of the Apostle Thaddeus, led by Hryusy (Greek “gold”, in Armenian “wax”), who were Roman ambassadors to the Armenian king, after the martyrdom of the apostle, settled at the sources of the Euphrates River, in the Tsaghkeats gorges. After the accession of Artashes, they came to the palace and began to preach the Gospel.

Being busy with the war in the east, Artashes asked the preachers to come to him again after his return and continue conversations about Christ. In the absence of the king, the Voskeans converted to Christianity some of the courtiers who had arrived from the country of the Alans to Queen Satenik, for which they were martyred by the king's sons. The Alan princes, converted to Christianity, left the palace and settled on the slopes of Mount Jrabashkh, where, after living for 44 years, they suffered martyrdom led by their leader Sukias on the orders of the Alan king.

Dogmatic features of the Armenian Church

The dogmatic theology of the Armenian Church is based on the terminology of the great fathers of the Church - centuries: Saints Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria and others, as well as on the dogmas adopted at the first three Ecumenical Councils: Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus.

As a result, it was concluded that the Armenian Church did not accept the resolution of the Council of Chalcedon due to the fact that the Council accepted the confession of the Pope, St. Leo the Great. The following words cause rejection of the Armenian Church in this confession:

"For although in the Lord Jesus there is one person - God and man, yet there is another (human nature) from which comes the common humiliation of both, and another (Divine nature) from which comes their common glorification.".

The Armenian Church uses the formulation of St. Cyril, but not to count natures, but to indicate the ineffable and indivisible unity of natures in Christ. Also used is the saying of St. Gregory the Theologian about the “two natures” in Christ, due to the incorruptibility and immutability of the divine and human natures. According to the confession of Nerses Shnorali set out in the “Conciliar Epistle of St. Nerses Shnorali to the Armenian people and correspondence with Emperor Manuel Komnenos”:

"Is one nature accepted for the sake of an indissoluble and inseparable union, and not for the sake of confusion - or are two natures posited only for the sake of showing an unmixed and unchangeable being, and not for separation; both expressions remain within Orthodoxy" .

Department in Vagharshapt

• St. Gregory I the Illuminator (302 - 325)
• Aristakes I Parthian (325 - 333)
• Vrtanes the Parthian (333 - 341)
• Hesychius (Iusik) Parthian (341 - 347)
• Daniel (347) chorep. Taronsky, elected archbishop.
• Paren (Parnerseh) Ashtishatsky (348 - 352)
• Nerses I the Great (353 - July 25, 373)
• Chunak(? - no later than 369) installed as Catholicos during the exile of Nerses the Great
• Isaac-Hesychius (Shaak-Iusik) of Manazkert (373 - 377)
• Zaven of Manazkert (377 - 381)
• Aspurakes of Manazkert (381 - 386)
• Isaac I the Great (387 - 425)
• Surmak (425 - 426)
• Barkisho Syrian (426 - 429)
• Samuel (429 - 434)
• 434 - 444 - widowhood of the throne

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.

1. Catholicos/Head of the Bishop/ (has absolute authority to perform the Sacraments, including the Ordination 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).
2. 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).
3. Priest, Archimandrite(performs all the Sacraments except Ordination).
4. Deacon(will serve in the Sacraments).
5. 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

There is an opinion among critics of the Armenian Church that in its early period it was characterized by iconoclasm. 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 everything is covered with icons walls of the temple, this can be perceived as a “lack” 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 in Christ a human essence, 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, 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, they 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, lest they 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, it is customary to make matah 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 clergyman 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 live according to 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 the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd 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

The traditional historical date for the proclamation of Christianity as the “state and only religion of Armenia” is considered to be 301. 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 of 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 a ray of light Christ descended from heaven and struck the Sandarametk underground temple with a hammer, indicating its destruction and the construction of a Christian church on this site. 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 suffered 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 various places Armenian schools. 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 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 Eugene 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 under 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 “Byzantine” millet that united Greek Orthodox Christians on the territory of the Ottoman Empire. 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 Echmiadzin 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 remained the only one here public institution who 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, 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 local cathedral AAC in Jerusalem, at which all contradictions caused by the political division between the autonomous thrones of the AAC 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 negotiated 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 positions 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 missionary activity 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 they crossed paths political interests East and West, 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, books in the Armenian language began to be printed in Amsterdam (the printing house of the monastery of Agop Megaparta), and then in Venice, Marseille and other cities of Western Europe. 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 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 that could not be significantly affected by certain restrictions - in particular, the 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 the 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 the Russian-Turkish War of 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 Armenian community. 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).

Armenian Apostolic Church- very ancient church, which has a number of features. There are many myths circulating around Russia about its essence. 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”. But the truth is that there are three types of Armenian Christians: Gregorians, Chalcedonians and Catholics.

WITH Catholics everything is simple: these are the Armenians who lived in the Ottoman Empire and who were converted to Catholicism by European missionaries. Many Catholic Armenians later moved to Georgia and now inhabit the regions of Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe. In Armenia itself they are few in number and live somewhere in the far north of the country.

WITH Chalcedonians It’s already more difficult. These include both Catholic Armenians and Orthodox Armenians. Historically, these are those Armenians who lived on the territory of Byzantium and recognized the Council of Chalcedon, that is, they were classical Orthodox. There were many Chalcedonians in the west of Armenia, where they built almost all the ancient churches. Several Chalcedonian temples are located in Northern Armenia. Over time, these people converted to Catholicism (which is essentially also Chalcedonianism) and almost disappeared from the face of the earth.

The Armenian Gregorians remain. This is a somewhat arbitrary term introduced for convenience. Let's talk about them in detail.

Armenian Christianity before 505

In the first centuries of our era, paganism reminiscent of Iranian was widespread in Armenia. They say that the conical domes of Armenian and Georgian churches are the legacy of that era. Christianity began to penetrate into Armenia very early, although it is not known exactly when and in what ways. At the end of the 3rd century, it was already considered a problem and was persecuted, but a man named Gregory managed to save King Trdat III from illness, for which he legalized Christianity, and Gregory the Illuminator became the first bishop of Armenia. This happened either in 301 or 314. It is generally believed that Armenia became the first state with the Christian religion as a state religion, although there is a suspicion that the state of Osroene was 100 years ahead of Armenia.

Ruins of the temple of Surb Harutyun (Resurrection), founded by Gregory the Illuminator in 305

In 313, an edict on freedom of faith in the Roman Empire was issued, in 325 the kingdom of Aksum adopted Christianity, in 337 - Iberia, in 380 Christianity was declared the state religion in Rome. Somewhere simultaneously with Iberia, Caucasian Albania adopted Christianity - directly from Gregory the Illuminator.

In 354, the first church council ("Ashtishat") was convened, which condemned the Arian heresy and decided to create monasteries in Armenia. (I wonder why there were no monasteries in Georgia at that time)

Thus, for the first 200 years of its existence, the Armenian Church was an ordinary Orthodox Church and the center of Christianization of Transcaucasia. Iran from time to time tried to return Armenia to Zoroastrianism and organized “peace enforcement operations,” and in 448, in the form of an ultimatum, it demanded to renounce Christianity. The Armenian reaction was so negative that in 451 Shah Yezigerd withdrew his demand, but there was no calm. In 451, Armenia lost the Battle of Avaray and the country plunged into chaos for almost half a century. When relative calm came, it turned out that much had already changed in the Christian world.

Monophysitism and Nestrianism

While Armenia was at war with the Persians, a problem arose in Byzantium, known in science as the “Christological controversy.” The question of the relationship between the human and the divine in Christ was being resolved. The question was: by whose suffering exactly was humanity saved? The suffering of the Divine or the suffering of Humanity? Supporters of Patriarch Nestorius (Nestorians) reasoned like this: God cannot be born, suffer and die, therefore man suffered and died on the cross, and the divine essence remained separate in him.

This version immediately had many opponents, who, however, went to the other extreme: they declared that Jesus was only God, and there was no human essence in him at all. This thesis about the one nature (mono-physis) of Christ came to be called monophysitism.

Any heresy is harmless while it exists in the form of abstract philosophy, but it is bad when consequences are drawn from it. From Monophysitism grew all of late totalitarianism, fascism, dictatorships and tyranny - that is, the philosophy of the superiority of the state over the personal. Islam is also monophysics in its purest form.

In 449, the Council of Ephesus dealt with Nestorianism, declaring Monophysitism the correct teaching. A few years later, the mistake was realized and in 451 the Council of Chalcedon was convened, which formulated a doctrine about the essence of Christ that would not deviate to the extremes of Nestorianism or Monophysitism. Orthodoxy is always a teaching about the middle. Extremes are more easily accepted by the brain and this is the reason for the success of all heresies.

And everything was going well, but the national factor intervened. Monophysitism was liked by the peoples of the Byzantine Empire as a “religion of opposition.” It quickly spread throughout all non-Greek areas: Egypt, Syria and Palestine. At the same time, Nestorianism spread to Persia and went further east to China, where the Nestorians built a church near Xi'an.

The split turned out to be deep and serious. Emperor Zeno, an immoral and not very thinking man, decided to simply reconcile everyone with everyone, abandoning the decision of the Council of Chalcedon, but not directly condemning it. The emperor outlined all this in a document known as the Henotikon of Zeno of 482.

When Armenia came to its senses a little after the Persian defeat, it had to somehow navigate the theological chaos. The Armenians acted simply: they chose the faith that Byzantium adhered to, and Byzantium in those years adhered to Zeno’s enoticon, that is, in fact, Monphysitism. In 40 years, Byzantium will abandon the enoticon, and in Armenia this philosophy will take root for centuries. Those Armenians who find themselves under the control of Byzantium will remain Orthodox - that is, “Chalcedonites”.

In 491, a council of churches of Transcaucasia (Vagharshapar Council) met, which rejected the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon as too similar to Nestorianism.

Dvina Cathedrals

In 505, the First Dvina Council of Transcaucasia met. The Council once again condemned Nestorianism and adopted the document “Epistle on Faith,” which has not survived to this day. In this document, the churches of Armenia, Georgia and Albania condemned Nestorianism and extreme Monophysitism, recognizing moderate Monophysitism as the basis of their faith.

On March 29, 554, the Second Dvina Council met, which developed an attitude towards aphthartodocetism (Julianism)- to the doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Christ during his life. In 564, Emperor Justinian the Great tried to implement the same idea, but the Byzantine hierarchs opposed it. In Armenia, this Monophysite principle was nevertheless recognized. This was already very radical Monophysitism, and over time Armenia abandoned Julianism.

At the same council, it was decided to introduce into the prayer “Holy God, Mighty Holy One...” the addition “... crucified for us.”

Around 590, the Chalcedonian Avan Catholicosate was formed on part of the territory of Armenia. It did not last long and was soon liquidated by the Persians, but its trace remained in the form of the interesting Avan Cathedral.

In 609 - 610 the Third Dvina Council met. Georgia at this moment was gradually returning back to Orthodoxy, and the Armenian church condemned these attempts. At the council, it was decided to interrupt communication with the Georgian church, not to go to Georgian churches and not to allow Georgians to take communion. So in 610 the paths of the Georgian and Armenian churches finally diverged.

What happened next

So, the Armenian Church remained in relative solitude - its like-minded people remained the Church of Caucasian Albania and the small Kakheti state of Hereti. A strange thing happened in Armenia itself: from 630 to 660, its Catholicoses were the Chalcedonites Ezra and Nerses. It was under them that many famous temples were built - the temple of Gayane, Zvartnots and (in the region). It was Nerses who rebuilt the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, built in 618, so it is possible that such a strange statement is made that this cathedral was built by the Orthodox.

To the credit of the Armenian Church, it must be said that it gradually drifted from extreme Monophysitism to moderate, then to even more moderate. The Council of Manazkert in 726 condemned Julianism and this radical Monophysite teaching was finally rejected. Unity with the Greek Church almost happened, but the Arab invasion prevented it. Gradually, the AAC became very close to Orthodoxy, but still did not take the last step and remained a non-Orthodox church. Subsequently, from time to time there were attempts at rapprochement with Byzantium, but each time they ended in failure.

Surprisingly, Armenia avoided Islamization and Armenian Christian Monophysites did not turn into Muslims, like many Monophysites in Palestine and Syria. Monophysitism is so close to Islam in spirit that the transformation occurs almost painlessly, but the Armenians avoided such a transformation.

In 1118 - 1199, Armenia gradually, piecemeal, became part of the Georgian kingdom. This process had two consequences. First: many Chalcedonian monasteries appear in Northern Armenia. Second: massive temple construction begins. More than half of all Armenian monasteries were built during this period - from the end of the 12th to the end of the 13th century. For example, the buildings of the Goshvank monastery were erected in 1191 - 1291, in the Haghpat monastery the main temple was built in the 10th century, and the remaining 6 buildings in the 13th century. And so on. The relationship between the Georgian and Armenian churches during this period remains unclear. For example, how was being part of the Georgian kingdom combined with the decisions of the Dvina Council to stop communication between churches.

In 1802 - 1828, the territory of Armenia became part of the Russian Empire and this time the Armenian church was lucky. She was considered weak and in need of support, so she did not suffer the fate of the Georgian church, which practically ceased to exist as a result of the abolition of aufokephaly. They tried to confiscate church property in 1905, but this caused violent protests and the confiscations were stopped.

What now

Now in Orthodoxy it is customary to perceive Monophysitism as a teaching that has several gradations - from radical to liberal. The Armenian Church is classified as the latter - in it Monophysitism is weakly expressed, but still expressed. In turn, the AAC considers only radical monophysitism (the teachings of Eutyches and Julian), to which it really does not belong. AC calls his teaching “miaphysitism.” If you call the Armenian religion Monophysite, then the Armenians will decide that they are accused of Eutychianism and will protest violently.

According to the teachings of Orthodoxy, Christ had one hypostasis and two natures.

According to the teachings of miaphysitism, Christ had one hypostasis and one “divine-human” nature.

The reason for the disagreement is that Orthodox theology allows for many natures in one hypostasis, while Miaphysite theology believes that one hypostasis can have only one nature. So this is a very complex debate about the properties of hypostasis, the understanding of which requires some philosophical preparation.

In addition, Orthodox theologians do not really understand what the “theanthropic period” is. This is the main question of this discussion - can a divine-human nature exist in principle? Try to figure out for yourself who is right and who is wrong in this dispute. Maybe you can imagine a “single divine-human nature.” I can't do it yet.

The teachings of the AAC fall under the anathemas of the Ecumenical Councils, and the teachings of the Orthodox Church fall under the anathemas of the Dvina Councils. This situation is somewhat painfully perceived by the Armenian consciousness, and even in glossy brochures for tourists I have come across not very clear justifications for the Armenian faith. It sounded like this: we are considered - what a horror - Monophysites, but we are, in essence, good guys.

Material culture of the Armenian Church

There are many temples and monasteries in Armenia that are architecturally similar to Georgian ones, although the Armenian ones are in many cases larger. The domes of the temples have the same conical shape as the Georgian ones - this is considered a heritage of Zoroastrianism. Frescoes in temples are unpopular. If you see these, then there is a high probability that this is a Chalcedonian temple (for example, Akhtala). Contrary to popular belief, Armenia does not recognize iconoclasm. There are icons in Armenian churches, but in very modest quantities. But in Armenia it is customary to cover walls with inscriptions. Here in the temples there is always a huge number of texts - on every wall and on every stone. Armenian churches are the most “talking” temples in the world, competing in this parameter with Chinese ones. There is also a fashion to carve crosses on the walls of churches.

Elements of church material culture
			gavites. This is a very strange design and it can only be found here. Application. Since any Christian movement is based on the Creed, here is the Armenian one for general erudition. Հավատում ենք մեկ Աստծո` ամենակալ Հորը, երկնքի և երկրի, երևելիների և աներևույթների Արարչին: Եւ մեկ Տիրոջ` Հիսուս Քրիստոսին, Աստծո Որդուն, ծնված Հայր Աստծուց Միածին, այսինքն` Հոր էությունից: Աստված` Աստծուց, լույս` լույսից, ճշմարիտ Աստված` ճշմարիտ Աստծուց, ծնունդ և ոչ թե` արարած: Նույն ինքը` Հոր բնությունից, որի միջոցով ստեղծվեց ամեն ինչ երկնքում և երկրի վրա` երևելիներն ու անևերույթները: Որ հանուն մեզ` մարդկանց ու մեր փրկության համար` իջավ երկնքից, մարմնացավ, մարդացավ, ծնվեց կատարելապես Ս. Կույս Մարիամից Ս. Հոգով: Որով` ճշմարտապես, և ոչ կարծեցյալ կերպով առավ մարմին, հոգի և միտք և այն ամենը, որ կա մարդու մեջ: Չարչարվեց, խաչվեց, թաղվեց, երրորդ օրը Հարություն առավ, նույն մարմնով բարձրացավ երկինք, նստեց Հոր աջ կողմում: Գալու է նույն մարմնով և Հոր փառքով` դատելու ողջերին և մահացածներին: Նրա թագավորությունը չունի վախճան: Հավատում ենք նաև Սուրբ Հոգուն` անեղ և կատարյալ, որը խոսեց Օրենքի, մարգարեների և ավետարանների միջոցով: Որն իջավ Հորդանանի վրա, քարոզեց առաքյալների միջոցով և բնակություն հաստատեց սրբերի մեջ: Հավատում ենք նաև մեկ, ընդհանրական և առաքելական եկեղեցու, մի մկրտության, ապաշխարության, մեղքերի քավության և թողության: Մեռելների հարության, հոգիների և մարմինների հավիտենական դատաստանի, երկնքի արքայության և հավիտենական կյանքի We believe in one God the Father, Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, visible and invisible to all. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one being with the Father, through whom all things were created; For us people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, became incarnate, became a man, born of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, from whom he received body, soul and consciousness, and everything that is in man is true, and not only in appearance. suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven in the same body and sat on right hand Father. And he who comes in the same body and in the glory of the Father will judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, uncreated and perfect, who spoke in the Law, the Prophets and the Gospels, who descended at the Jordan, who preached through the apostles and who lives in the saints. We believe in the One, Ecumenical, Apostolic and Holy Church, in one baptism of repentance, in forgiveness and remission of sins, in the resurrection of the dead, in eternal judgment of bodies and souls, in the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life.

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. New moral values Europeans are in 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. Official name communities of believers in Armenia - “One Holy Ecumenical Apostolic Orthodox Armenian Church.”

The first Christian state in the world

A whole decade before the adoption of the Edict of Milan by 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, the 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. Belongs to this denomination small community Udin in the north of Azerbaijan and several thousand Azerbaijani Tats. 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:

• Communion bread is used as in Catholic tradition, unleavened, and wine does not dissolve 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 on ancient language Grabar, 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. Specific legislative act There is no definition that determines 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 by orthodox religion. Armenia is home to 36 parishes of the Armenian Catholic Church community, which 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

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, Yazidis, Greeks and Molokans.

Religion of the Armenian people

To questions such as: “what faith do the Armenians belong to” or “what is the religion of the Armenians,” one can answer: the religion of the Armenians is Christian, and according to faith, Armenians are divided into:

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

Why did this happen? This is a historical fact. In ancient times, Armenia was either under the rule of Rome or Byzantium, which was reflected in 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;

Theological Academy.

The head of the AAC is the supreme spiritual head of all Armenian believers with full power management of 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 bishop departments:

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

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

Jerusalem Patriarchate

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem (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 of Jerusalem. All Armenian churches in Israel and Jordan are under his control.

The Armenian, Greek and Latin Patriarchates have ownership rights to certain parts of the Holy Land, for example, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, The Armenian Patriarchate owns the 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 Blessed Virgin Mary, the main spiritual center of the Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

All parishes are subordinate to him Armenian Patriarchate 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 seat 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. There he remained until 1920. After the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the Catholicosate wandered for 10 years, and in 1930 it finally settled in Lebanon. The Cilician Catholicosate administers the dioceses of the AAC of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Cyprus, the Gulf countries, Greece, the USA and Canada.

The meeting place of the Cilician Catholicosate is the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

History of religion in Armenia

History of the formation of Christianity in Armenia covered in legends, which are historical facts and have documentary evidence.

Abgar V Ukkama

The rumor about Christ and his amazing healing abilities reached the Armenians even during Christ’s earthly life. There is a legend 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 over a letter to Christ, who wrote a response in which he explained that he himself would not be able to come to Edessa, since the time had come for him to fulfill What he was Sent for; upon completion of his work, he will send one of his students to Abgar. Ananias took Christ’s letter, climbed onto a high stone and began to draw Christ standing in the crowd of people.

Christ noticed this and asked why he was drawing it. 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 ordered that it be given along with the letter to the king.

The Tsar, having received the letter and the “miraculous” Face, was almost healed. After Pentecost, the Apostle Thaddeus came to Edessa, completed the healing of Abgar, and Abgar accepted 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 talked about the miracle of healing, about other miracles that the Face of the Savior continued to perform and called on them to accept Christianity.

Christianity in Osroene did not last long. Three years later, King Abgar died. Over the years, almost the entire population of Osroena was converted to the Christian faith.

The name of Abgar V entered Christianity as the first ruler of the Christian state of the early 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 remembrance of St. Thaddeus the Apostle;
• on the day of remembrance of Saint Abgar, the first king to believe in Jesus Christ.

The mission of Apostle Thaddeus in Osroene lasted from 35 to 43 AD. The Vatican houses 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 Osroena to paganism, but promised the citizens not to persecute Christians.

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

Then Osroena was included in Greater Armenia, which was ruled by Sanatruk I from 91 to 109.

In 44, Apostle Bartholomew arrived in Armenia. His mission in Armenia lasted from 44 to 60. 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. On his orders, Apostle Bartholomew and Vogui were executed.

It was never 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 in the 1st century.

Armenian king Khosrov

King Khosrow 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. To capture Armenia, he organized a palace conspiracy and the treacherous murder of the king. The dying king ordered to catch and kill everyone who participated in the conspiracy, as well as their families. The murderer's wife and her little son Gregory fled to Rome.

The Persian king did not limit himself to killing Khosrow, he decided to kill 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.

Gregory 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 a pagan, he became attached to Gregory, and Gregory was his faithful servant and adviser.

In 287, the Roman Emperor Diacletian 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 his reign, following the example of Diakletian, Trdat persecuted Christians and brutally dealt with them. A brave warrior named George, who was canonized as Saint George the Victorious, also fell into this crater. But Trdat did not touch his servant.

One day, when everyone was praising pagan goddess, Trdat ordered Gregory to join the action, but he publicly refused. Trdat had to give the order to seize Gregory and forcefully return him to paganism; he did not want to kill his servant. But there were “well-wishers” who told Trdat who Gregory was. Trdat flew into a rage, tortured Gregory, and then ordered him to be thrown into Khor Virap ( deep hole), where they threw the worst enemies of the state, did not feed them, did not give them water, but left them there until their death.

After 10 years, Trdat fell ill with an unknown disease. The best doctors from all over the world tried to treat him, but to no avail. Three years later, his sister had a dream in which a Voice commanded her to release Gregory. She told her brother about this, but he decided that she had gone crazy, since the pit had not been opened for 13 years, and it was impossible for Gregory to remain alive.

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

Acceptance of Christianity

After being cured, 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 overthrowing the government and maintaining state culture. This happened in 301. The Armenian faith began to be called “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 during the time of loss of statehood, the church took upon itself the spiritual leadership of the people and preserved their unity, led liberation wars and through its own channels established diplomatic relations, opened schools, and cultivated 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 belongs to Monophysitism, which recognizes only the divine principle in Christ, while the Russian Orthodox Church belongs to Dyophysitism, which recognizes two principles in Christ - the human and the divine.

The AAC has special rules in observing rituals:

• cross from left to right;
• calendar - Julian;
• Confirmation is connected with baptism;
• For communion, whole wine and unleavened bread are used;
• Unction is performed only for clergy;
• Armenian letters are used on icons;
• confessed in modern Armenian.

Armenian Church in Russia

Armenians have lived in Russia for many centuries, but they have retained 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, and spiritual 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 Armenian Apostolic Church (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.

Address temple complex, telephone numbers, church service schedules and social events You can find out by searching: “Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow official website.”