How does the Armenian Church differ from the Orthodox Church? Christianity of Armenia

Parishioners of the Armenian “church”

Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church (AGAC)(hereinafter - author's emphasis, - note ed.) is one of the communities that call themselves Christian. But let's figure out whether she bears this name fairly.

We often hear that Armenians were the first to accept the faith of Christ at the state level. But how did this happen? Despite the acceptance of the true doctrine from the Jerusalem and Byzantine Churches, the Agats Church did not remain its confessor. In addition, during the same period, edicts were issued in the Roman Empire that completely legalized Christianity. Therefore, the Agats has no reason to exalt itself.

For many centuries there has been no church unity between representatives of this “church” and Orthodox Christians. This does not exclude good neighborly relations, however, the schism and heresies of the Agats are contrary to the principle of preserving unity of faith, transmitted to us by the apostles, and the instructions of the word of God: One God, One Faith, One Baptism(Eph. 4, 5). Since the 4th century, the Agats separated from the entirety of the ancient Orthodox Local Churches (Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, etc.), accepting - first by misunderstanding, and then consciously - the Monophysite, Monothelite and Miaphysite heresies. This disease has not been cured to this day: we cannot pray and receive communion together with members of the AGAC- until the true teaching about God is restored in it.

Unfortunately, ordinary Armenians, often far from the subtleties of theology, become hostages of this misfortune - heresy and schism. They should know that it is impossible to be both Orthodox and included in the Armenian “church,” just as it is impossible to simultaneously be saved and lost, truthful and liar. It is necessary to make a choice between life and death, truth and lies.

ABOUT THE MONOPHYSITE HERESY IN GENERAL AND THE ERRORS OF THE ARMENIAN “CHURCH” IN PARTICULAR

A) HERESY OF MONOPHYSITISM

Before talking about the Armenian direction of Monophysitism, let’s talk about what kind of heresy it is and how it arose.

Monophysitism- this is an incorrect teaching about Christ, the essence of which is that in the Lord only one nature, and not two, as the Word of God and the Orthodox Church teach.

The Orthodox Church confesses in Christ one Personality(Hypostasis) and two natures - Divine and human, abiding unmergedly, inseparably, inseparably, unchangeably. Monophysites (including AGAC) in Christ they recognize one Person, one Hypostasis and one nature. As a result, they reject the Ecumenical Councils, starting with the Fourth (and, as is known, there were Seven of them in total).

B) FALSE TEACHINGS OF THE AGATZ

For this reason, members of the AGAC do not accept, insult and consider many Orthodox saints as heretics. Monophysitism is not only a complete denial of the real human flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, but also any, even the slightest shift or distortion from the human nature of Christ towards His Divinity. The Agats, after many hesitations, inclined towards the heresy of Monophysitism, which for them consists not in denying the fact of the Incarnation, but in stubbornly insisting on absorption by the Divinity of Christ of His human nature - which is blasphemy against the Lord and a heretical teaching. For this reason, neither the symbol of the Armenian faith, in which the Incarnation is orthodoxly confessed, nor the statements of individual Armenian “theologians” about the presence of flesh in Christ have any significance.

It is noteworthy that the AGAC does not have any officially approved, even summary fundamentals of faith. It uses three symbols of faith: 1) a short one, used in the rite of announcement; 2) middle - in the rite of the “divine liturgy” and 3) lengthy, read by the “priest” at the beginning of the morning “worship”. Phrase from the third space character “one Person, one species, and united in one nature” is completely heretical, and every lie and heresy is from the devil, and its acceptance is unacceptable for Christians, especially in matters of religion. This heresy leads to lies about the God-man Christ, to the idea of ​​​​the impossibility of imitating Him - after all, He is supposedly God to the greatest extent, and humanity is absorbed in Him. That is, by humiliating the human nature of the Savior, the motivation to imitate Christ is also destroyed for believers.

One misconception naturally led to others. Thus, the Agats Church finally recognized the veneration of icons only in the 12th century; during “sacred rites”, Armenians to this day use unleavened bread according to Jewish custom and perform animal sacrifices (the so-called “matah”). In addition, they eat cheese and milk foods on Saturday and Sunday during fasting. And since 965, the AGAC began to “rebaptize” people converting to it from Orthodoxy.

The main differences between the Armenian “church” and Orthodoxy are as follows:

The AGAC recognizes the Body of Christ not as consubstantial with human flesh, but "incorruptible and passionless, and ethereal, And uncreated and heavenly ones, who did everything that is characteristic of the body, not in reality, but in imagination”;

The AGAC believes that in the act of Incarnation the Body of Christ “turned into Divinity and became consubstantial with Him, disappearing in Divinity like a drop in the sea, so that after this two natures no longer remain in Christ, but one, entirely Divine.” She confesses in Christ two natures before the Incarnation, and after - a single complex nature, in which both are supposedly united - Divine and human.

In addition, Monophysitism is almost always accompanied by the Monothelite and Monoenergist heresies, i.e., the teachings that in Christ there is only one will and one action, one source of activity, which is the Divinity, and humanity is only His passive instrument. This is also an unholy blasphemy against the God-man Jesus Christ.

C) DIFFERENCES OF ARMENIAN MONOPHYSITISM FROM ITS OTHER VARIETIES

The creed of the AGAC has its own characteristics, differences from the doctrines of other Monophysite “churches”.

Currently, three directions of monophysitism can be distinguished:

1) Syrojacovites, Copts and Malabarians of the Sevirian tradition;

2) AGAC (Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholics);

3) Ethiopian and Eritrean “churches”.

AGAC differs from the rest of the non-Chalcedonian Monophysites in that one of the Monophysite heresiarchs, Sevirus of Antioch, was anathematized by the Armenians in the 4th century as an insufficiently consistent Monophysite. Aphthartodocetism (the heretical doctrine of the incorruptibility of the Body of Jesus Christ from the moment of the Incarnation) also had a significant influence on the “theology” of the AGAC.

Unfortunately, interest in the history of Armenian Christological thought today is shown mainly by people who consciously converted from the Agats to Orthodoxy - both in Armenia itself and in Russia.

D) IS A THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE WITH THE AGAT POSSIBLE?

Theological dialogue Orthodox Church with the AGAC seems hopeless these days, since its representatives show no interest in dogmatic problems and are inclined to discuss only issues social service, pastoral practice, various problems of social and church life. It’s sad but true: the AGAC has placed itself outside the Church of Christ, turning into a self-isolated and one-national “church” that has fellowship in faith only with other heretical Monophysite false churches.

INFORMATION ABOUT CHRISTIANITY IN ARMENIA

A) HISTORICAL INFORMATION

In 354, the first Council of the Armenian Church took place, condemning Arianism and confirming its commitment to Orthodoxy. In 366, the Church of Armenia, which had previously been canonically dependent on the Caesarea See of Byzantium, received autocephaly (independence).

In 387 Great Armenia turned out to be divided, and its eastern part was annexed to Persia in 428, and the western part became a province of Byzantium. In 406, Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet, which made it possible to translate into National language worship, Holy Scripture and the works of the Fathers of the Church.

Representatives of the Armenian Church were present at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils; they also adopted the decisions of the Third. But now the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451 in Chalcedon, took place without the participation of the Armenian bishops, and for this reason they were not exactly aware of the decisions of this Council. Meanwhile, Monophysites arrived in Armenia, spreading their errors. True, the decisions of the Council soon appeared in the Armenian Church, but, out of ignorance exact value Greek theological terms, Armenian teachers made an unintentional mistake. As a result, the Armenian Council in Dovin in 527 decided to recognize one nature in Christ and thereby unambiguously placed the AGATS among the Monophysites. The Orthodox faith was officially rejected and condemned. So the Armenian “church” fell away from Orthodoxy. However, a significant number of Armenians remained in communion with the Universal Church, coming under the subordination of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In 591, as a result of the Persian attack, Armenia was divided. Most of the country became part of the Byzantine Empire, and in the city of Avan (which was located northeast of Yerevan, and now became part of it) a Orthodox Catholicosate.

He was opposed Monophysite Catholicosate, located in Dovin, on Persian territory, and the Persians artificially supported it, fearing the reunification of local Armenians with the Byzantine Orthodox Armenians (however, many Orthodox Armenians also lived on Persian territory).

During the Byzantine-Persian War of 602-609, the Orthodox Catholicosate was abolished by the Persian invaders. The Monophysite Catholicos Abraham initiated the persecution of the Orthodox, forcing all clerics to either anathematize the Council of Chalcedon or leave the country.

However, repression failed to eradicate the Orthodox faith among the Armenians. In 630, the Council of Karin took place, at which the Armenian Church officially returned to Orthodoxy. But after the Arab conquests of 726, the Agats again fell away from the Universal Church into Monophysitism. Orthodox Armenians again began to move to the territory of Byzantium, under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Those who remained in the regions of Armenia bordering Georgia found themselves under the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church. In the 9th century, the population and princes of the Taron region, as well as the majority of the population of the Tao and Klarjeti regions, were Orthodox.

Through the efforts of Saint Photius of Constantinople and Harran, Bishop Theodore Abu Kurra under Prince Ashot I in 862 at the Shirakavan Council, the Church of Armenia returned to Orthodoxy again, however, 30 years later, by the decision of the new Catholicos Hovhannes V V Once again deviated into Monophysitism.

In the 11th century in Armenia the number of departments in communication with Constantinople increases, in this period Orthodoxy began to prevail among Armenians. After the invasion of the Seljuk Turks in the second half of the 11th century, Orthodox Armenians found themselves under the jurisdiction of the Georgian Patriarch, and after a century and a half their bishops were already referred to and perceived as Georgian.

The last attempt to return the Armenian “church” to Orthodoxy was made in 1178. At the Council convened by Emperor Manuel Komnenos, its hierarchs recognized the Orthodox confession of faith, but the death of the Emperor prevented their reunification with the Church of Christ.

In 1198, the alliance of the papal crusaders with the Armenian King of Cilicia led to the conclusion of a union between the heretical Roman Catholic and Armenian "churches". This union, which was not accepted by the Armenians outside Cilicia, ended in a split in the Armenian “church”, resulting in the emergence of the “Armenian Catholic Church" But the bulk of the Armenians living in Armenia to this day belong to the Agats.

B) THE REASON FOR THE AGATS’ DEVIATION INTO HERESY

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), who was a bishop in the Caucasus, knew very well the state of affairs in the Armenian “church” and the views of the Armenians, gravitated toward Orthodoxy. He said with great regret and sorrow that the Agats Church is in many ways close to the Orthodox Church, but does not want to abandon the heresy of Monophysitism that divides us. There is only one reason for this - pride, incredibly strengthened over centuries of wrong confession and due to the single-nationality of the Armenian “church”. The latter brought to the AGAC the conviction of the national exclusivity of its members, which was contrary to the gospel teaching. The falsity of this prideful worldview is stated in Scripture: There is neither Greek nor Jew, neither circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all.

(Col. 3:11). “To cause divisions in the Church is no less evil than to fall into heresies<…>. The sin of schism cannot be washed away even by the blood of martyrdom.” Therefore, we are waiting for the return of our Armenian brothers from the sin of heresy and schism in the unity of faith (see: Eph. 4, 5).

CONCLUSION

So, AGAC refers to communities that are not in unity with the Orthodox Church. After the Fourth Ecumenical Council, due to the rejection of the church truth that in a single Hypostasis, in a single Person of the incarnate Son of God, two natures - Divine and human - were united inextricably and inseparably, it found itself among those false churches that are called Monophysite. Once former part of the united Ecumenical Church, the AGAC accepted the false teaching of the Monophysites, recognizing only one nature of the incarnate God of the Word - Divine. And although we can say that now the severity of the theological disputes of the 5-6 centuries has largely become a thing of the past and that the modern “theology” of the Armenian “church” is far from the extremes of Monophysitism, nevertheless, there is still no unity in faith between us.

Thus, the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, which condemned the heresy of Monophysitism, for us, Orthodox believers, are saints of God and teachers of the Church, and for representatives of the Agats and other “ancient Eastern churches” - persons either anathematized (which is most often), or, at least at least not possessing doctrinal authority. And on the contrary, the heresiarch Dioscorus is a blasphemer for us, but for the Armenians he is “like the father of saints.” Even from the above example, it is already clear which traditions are inherited by the family of Local Orthodox Churches, and which traditions are inherited by the false churches called “ancient Eastern”. Yes, there are quite significant differences between these “non-Chalcedonian churches”, and the extent of Monophysite influence on their dogmatics is not the same (it is much stronger in the Coptic “churches” and almost imperceptible in the Agats). However, it remains a historical, canonical and doctrinal fact that for one and a half thousand years there has been no Eucharistic communion between us. And if we recognize the Church as the pillar and foundation of the truth, if we believe that the promise of Christ the Savior that the gates of hell will not prevail against her has not a relative, but an absolute meaning, then it is necessary to conclude that either one Church is true, and the other - heretical, or vice versa - and think about the consequences of this conclusion. The only thing that must not be allowed is attempts to establish the truth of both the Orthodox Church and the AGAC at the same time, arguing that although their teachings are not identical, in fact they supposedly coincide and the reason for the one and a half thousand-year separation is, as it were, only human inertia and political ambitions and reluctance to unite.

In conclusion, we note that Armenians living or temporarily staying in Russia are not allowed to alternately receive communion either in the “churches” of the Agats Church or in Orthodox churches. They need to carefully examine the doctrinal positions of the Agats and the Orthodox Church and make their choice.

Hieromonk Dimitri,
resident of the Holy Cross Monastery (Sochi)

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 division, and the consequences of this division. 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.

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.

Common features

Despite such an early separation from the united Christian movement, there has always been a conflict between the Armenian and Orthodox churches. cultural exchange. 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 you 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 Construction 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. Thus, the Armenian rite has a national language and 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 the Catholic from the Orthodox; in fact, they are different and absolutely independent spiritual institutions.

Most historians believe that the Armenians officially became Christians in 314, and this is the most late date from the supposed ones. Numerous followers of the new faith appeared here long before the proclamation of the Armenian Church as a state institution.

The faith of the Armenian people is considered chief apostolic, that is, received directly from the disciples of Christ. Despite dogmatic differences, the Russian and Armenian churches support friendly relations, especially in matters of studying the history of Christianity.

Before the adoption of Christianity in ancient state paganism reigned on the banks of Sevan, leaving meager monuments in the form of stone sculptures and echoes in folk customs. According to legend, the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew laid the foundation for the destruction of pagan temples and the erection in their places Christian churches. In the history of the Armenian Church one can highlight the following milestones:

• 1st century: the sermon of the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, which determined the name of the future Church - Apostolic.
• Mid-2nd century: Tertullian’s mention of “ large quantities Christians" in Armenia.
• 314 (according to some sources - 301) - martyrdom of the holy virgins Hripsime, Gaiania and others who suffered on Armenian soil. The adoption of Christianity by the King of Armenia Trdat III under the influence of his servant Gregory, the future holy Enlightener of Armenia. Construction of the first Etchmiadzin temple and establishment of the patriarchal throne in it.
• 405: creation of the Armenian alphabet for the purpose of translating the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books.
• 451: Battle of Avarayr (war with Persia against the introduction of Zoroastrianism); The Council of Chalcedon in Byzantium against the heresy of the Monophysites.
• 484 - removal of the patriarchal throne from Etchmiadzin.
• 518 - division with Byzantium in matters of religion.
• XII century: attempts to reunite with Byzantine Orthodoxy.
• XII - XIV centuries - attempts to accept a union - to unite with the Catholic Church.
• 1361 - removal of all Latin innovations.
• 1441 - return of the patriarchal throne to Etchmiadzin.
• 1740 - separation of the Syrian community of Armenians, whose religion became Catholicism. The Armenian Catholic Church spread to Western Europe, there are parishes in Russia.
• 1828 - Eastern Armenia became part of Russian Empire, the new name "Armenian-Gregorian Church", a branch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which remained on the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1915 - extermination of Armenians in Turkey.
• 1922 - the beginning of repression and the anti-religious movement in Soviet Armenia.
• 1945 - election of a new Catholicos and gradual revival of church life.

At present, despite the friendly relations between the Orthodox and Armenian churches, there is no Eucharistic communion. This means that their priests and bishops cannot celebrate the liturgy together, and the laity cannot be baptized and receive communion. The reason for this is differences in creed or tenet.

Ordinary believers who do not study theology may not be aware of these obstacles or may not attach importance to them. For them, ritual differences, caused by history and national customs, are more important.

In the 3rd-4th centuries, debates about faith were as popular as political battles are now. To resolve dogmatic issues, Ecumenical Councils were convened, the provisions of which shaped the modern Orthodox doctrine.

One of the main topics of discussion was the nature of Jesus Christ, who He was, God or man? Why does the Bible describe His sufferings, which should not be characteristic of the divine nature? For Armenians and Byzantines, the authority of the Holy Fathers of the Church (Gregory the Theologian, Athanasius the Great, etc.) was indisputable, but the understanding of their teaching turned out to be different.

The Armenians, along with other Monophysites, believed that Christ was God, and the flesh in which He dwelt on earth was not human, but divine. Therefore, Christ could not experience human feelings and did not even feel pain. His suffering under torture and on the cross was symbolic, apparent.

The teaching of the Monophysites was dismantled and condemned at the First V. Ecumenical Council, where the doctrine of the two natures of Christ - divine and human - was adopted. This meant that Christ, while remaining God, accepted the present at birth human body and experienced not only hunger, thirst, suffering, but also the mental anguish characteristic of man.

When the Ecumenical Council was held in Chalcedon (Byzantium), the Armenian bishops were unable to take part in the discussions. Armenia was in a bloody war with Persia and on the verge of destruction of statehood. As a result, the decisions of the Chalcedon and all subsequent Councils were not accepted by the Armenians and their centuries-long separation from Orthodoxy began.

The dogma about the nature of Christ is the main difference between the Armenian Church and the Orthodox Church. Currently, theological dialogues are ongoing between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian Apostolic Church). Representatives of the learned clergy and church historians discuss what contradictions arose due to a misunderstanding and can be overcome. Perhaps this will lead to the restoration of full communication between faiths.

Both Churches also differ in their external, ritual aspects, which is not a significant obstacle to the communication of believers. The most noticeable features are:

There are other features in worship, vestments of clergy and church life.

Armenian renegadeism

Armenians who wish to convert to Orthodoxy will not have to be baptized again. The rite of joining is performed over them, where a public renunciation of the teachings of the Monophysite heretics is expected. Only after this can a Christian from the AAC begin to receive the Orthodox Sacraments.

In the Armenian Church there are no strict regulations regarding the admission of Orthodox Christians to the Sacraments; Armenians are also allowed to receive communion in any of the Christian churches.

Hierarchical structure

The head of the Armenian Church is the Catholicos. The name of this title comes from the Greek word καθολικός - “universal”. The Catholicos heads all local churches, standing above their patriarchs. The main throne is located in Etchmiadzin (Armenia). The current Catholicos is Karekin II, the 132nd head of the church after St. Gregory the Illuminator. Below the Catholicos are the following sacred degrees:

The Armenian diaspora in the world numbers about 7 million people. All these people are held together folk traditions related to religion. In places of permanent residence, Armenians try to erect a temple or chapel where they gather for prayer and holidays. In Russia, churches with characteristic ancient architecture can be found on Black Sea coast, in Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Moscow and others major cities. Many of them are named after the Great Martyr George - the beloved saint of the entire Christian Caucasus.

The Armenian Church in Moscow is represented by two beautiful churches: the Resurrection and the Transfiguration. Transfiguration Cathedral- cathedral, i.e. a bishop constantly serves in it. His residence is located nearby. Here is the center of the New Nakhichevan diocese, which includes all the former republics of the USSR except the Caucasian ones. The Church of the Resurrection is located at the national cemetery.

In each of the temples you can see khachkars - stone arrows made of red tuff, decorated with fine carvings. This expensive work is performed by special craftsmen in memory of someone. The stone is delivered from Armenia as a symbol of the historical homeland, reminding every Armenian in the diaspora of his sacred roots.

The most ancient diocese of the AAC is located in Jerusalem. Here it is headed by the patriarch, who has his residence at the Church of St. James. According to legend, the temple was built on the site of the execution of the Apostle James; nearby was the house of the Jewish high priest Anna, before whom Christ was tortured.

In addition to these shrines, the Armenians also keep the main treasure - the third part of Golgotha ​​granted by Constantine the Great (in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ). This property gives the right to the Armenian representative, along with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to participate in the ceremony of the Holy Light ( Holy Fire). In Jerusalem, a service over the Tomb is celebrated daily. Mother of God, owned in equal shares by Armenians and Greeks.

Events in church life are covered by the Shagakat television channel in Armenia, as well as by the English and Armenian-language Armenian Church channel on YouTube. Patriarch Kirill and the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church regularly take part in the celebrations of the AAC associated with the centuries-old friendship of the Russian and Armenian peoples.

This question regularly comes up here and there on the Internet, and this question is often asked to me. I have already given answers to similar questions many times, but the questions are still repeated, because the previous answers “go deep.” Therefore, I need to repeat myself. This post is specifically dedicated to this discussion - http://spectat.livejournal.com/380030.html, because the owner of the blog asked me to speak about it.
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So, in order to answer the question of who is Orthodox and who is not, you first need to find out - what is this Orthodoxy anyway? And what does it mean if you are not Orthodox? Let's begin, like in first grade, sorting words into shelves.

PRAVO-SLAVIE(Greek: Orto-Doxia; Armenian: Ukhkha-Parutyun), i.e. Right, Correct, Direct Glorification means that the Orthodox correctly glorify God. That is? Non-Orthodox people glorify God incorrectly. That is why Orthodoxy is opposed to nothing other than heresy. Those., he who is not Orthodox is a heretic . This is the main answer to the question “Are Armenians Orthodox?”

Who would consider himself a heretic? Who, while remaining in their religion, will consider that someone else’s religion (or its subtype) is more correct? Naturally, if Armenians consider their faith to be the most correct, then they not only consider themselves Orthodox (Armenian ukhapar), but they consider themselves Orthodox. Accordingly, they will consider those who believe differently to be non-Orthodox.

The question remains - who decides what is CORRECT? Does the Pope decide? Or Uncle Crimean? That solves it Turkish Sultan? Or Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky? If any religion or its subtype considers itself correct, then it does not care who there thinks about it. So why do online hysterics freak out when they start screaming about the non-Orthodoxy of Armenians? And they are stifled for one simple reason - due to lack of brains.

Religious truth is an exclusively subjective concept, and therefore there are as many “truths” as there are heads. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that a believer of the Russian Orthodox Church (like a believer of any other Greek-Byzantine Church), considering his faith to be correct, considers himself Orthodox. Who can stop him from believing this? No one can. No one can forbid him from believing in the non-Orthodoxy of the Armenians.

But it’s a completely different matter if this very believer of the Russian Orthodox Church comes to an Armenian and starts being clever, like, he’s Orthodox, but the Armenians are not. This will simply make him look like an idiot. However, such people are stupid due to their confessional misunderstanding. After all, the Greek-Byzantine church tradition itself monopolized the “Orthodoxy” brand and now local neophytes consider themselves “Orthodox” by default. For them, an Orthodox is not someone who rightly glorifies God, but simply anyone who is a member of the Greek-Byzantine confession.

But this is not the biggest joke. It’s okay when one of the Christians considers himself Orthodox and does not consider others Orthodox. It's kind of natural. But there are such inadequate people who, either being non-Christians of other faiths or even atheists, begin to talk about the non-Orthodoxy of the Armenians. In the original post, to which, in fact, the answer is given, there are comments from a couple of Turkish-Muslims who, under the zombie coding of Aliyev’s propagandists, are in all seriousness screaming along the lines of “what kind of Orthodox Armenians are they!”

No, well, a Turkish-Kurdish Muslim is the main expert on Orthodoxy in Christianity. Who Orthodox Christian, and who is not, they probably decide in Azeragitprop...))))) However, since the employees of Azeragitprop are not distinguished by either intelligence or knowledge, they take the criteria of Orthodoxy from the key literature of the Russian Orthodox Church. Here in the Russian Orthodox Church they say that Armenians are not Orthodox, but Monophysites, and the Aliyevites repeat this like green budgies.

Chief expert on Orthodoxy in Christianity: " Armenians are not Christians at all. The Armenian Church is a political organization with a fascist bias. Everything there is already very neglected, so there are Armenians who voluntarily convert to Islam".

But why are we all talking about abnormal people?! Let's return to the essence of the topic.

So, anyone who wants to understand whether someone is Orthodox needs to realize that there are two understandings of this issue:

1. Orthodoxy is abiding in true faith

2. Orthodoxy is a confessional self-designation.

And if about the first I said that this is a subjective matter, like everything in religion, then the second is a complete empty phrase. You can even call yourself a potty, it doesn’t change the essence of the matter. There is no monopoly on self-name. Just as the local Churches of the Greek-Byzantine Chalcedonian tradition contain the word “Orthodox” in their self-name, in the same way this word is found in the self-name of the ancient Eastern pre-Chalcedonian Churches. Just as the Bulgarian Church is called Orthodox, so the Coptic Church is called Orthodox.

Some exception among the pre-Chalcedonian Churches is the Armenian Church, which officially prefers to be called Apostolic, but this does not cease to be Orthodox. Apparently there is historical reasons because the official self-name of the AAC does not contain this word. Or maybe this is a normal, common sense idea that it is simply not modest to call oneself the True One in public, and that who believed rightly and who did not is for God to decide at the Last Judgment.

However, there is also that nuance that many people, asking the question “Are the Armenians Orthodox?”, are least of all interested in the correct glorification of God or self-designations, but simply want to understand whether the Armenian Apostolic Church to the very church tradition to which the Russian Church belongs and which Russians hear as Orthodoxy. Here, of course, the answer is negative. If by “Orthodoxy” we mean the Greek-Byzantine confession, then the Armenians, like other non-Greek peoples of the ancient Christian East, do not belong to this confession.

Neither the Armenians nor the other peoples of the East who stood at the origins of Christianity itself are members of the Greek-Byzantine confession, not because they are so wrong and do not like the correct Greek faith. They do not belong to the Greek confession because, unlike the Russians and other peoples of the second echelon of Christianization, they accepted the faith not from the Greeks, but directly from the apostles themselves. Just like the Greeks. Just as the Greeks and Latins created their own special church traditions, with their own original rituals and theological schools, the Armenians, Syrians and Egyptians created their own original church traditions in ritual and theology.

Those. Questioners need to understand that, unlike the Russians, the Armenians did not undertake to accept from the Greeks everything that they came up with, just as the Greeks did not undertake to adopt anything from the Armenians. But the Russians, having accepted the faith from the Greeks, are obliged to believe as prescribed by the Greeks, and it is this devotion to everything Greek that makes the former “Byzantines” a single confession. And until the Russian Church officially renounces the thousand-year-old moldy Greek-Byzantine lies about “Monophysites” and the like, it will continue to misinform its own believers and raise questions about the Orthodoxy of the Armenians in the minds of the ignorant.

However, the zombie adherents of Aliyev’s propaganda will be very upset if such a rattle is taken away from them...

Armenian Gregorian "Apostolic Church" ( Further AGAC) – one of the communities calling itself Christian, but whether it is such we will consider further. We often hear that the Armenians were the first to accept the faith at the state level, but let us ask from whom did they accept the faith? From the Jerusalem and Byzantine Churches and, however, they failed to preserve it intact! In addition, at the same time, edicts were issued in the Roman Empire that completely legalized Christianity, so there is no reason left for the AGAC to be proud. For many centuries there has been no church unity between us, this does not exclude good neighborly relations, however, the schism and heresies of the Agats go against the principle of preservation Unity of Faith transmitted to us by the apostles and indicated by the Word of God: « One God, united faith, united baptism"(Eph.4,5). Since the 4th century, the Agats separated from the entirety of the most ancient Orthodox local Churches(Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, etc.) having accepted, first by mistake, and then consciously, the Monophysite and Monothelite and Miaphysite heresies and went into schism from everyone else. Until now we have this unhealed wound so that we cannot pray and receive communion together until the true teaching about God is restored in the Agats. Ordinary Armenians, unfortunately, often far from the subtleties of theology, become hostages of this misfortune of heresy and schism. You should know that it is impossible to be both Orthodox and included in the Armenian “church” at the same time, just as it is impossible to be simultaneously saved and lost, truthful and liar. You have to make a choice between the truth and the lie. Before we talk about the Armenian direction of Monophysitism, let’s talk about what Monophysitism is and how it arose.

Monophysitism - this is an incorrect teaching about Christ, the essence of which is that in the Lord Jesus Christ only one nature, and not two (Divine and human), as the Word of God and the Orthodox Church teach.

Orthodox Church confesses in Christ one person(hypostasis) and two natures – divine And human abiding unmergedly, inseparably, inseparably, unchangeably. Monophysites same (including AGAC) in Christ they recognize one person, one hypostasis and one nature. As a result, the Monophysites do not recognize the Ecumenical Councils starting from the 4th (and there are seven in total).

Therefore, they insult, condemn and do not accept most saints. Monophysitism is not only a complete denial of the real human flesh of Jesus Christ the Son of God, but any slightest transfer, shift or distortion from the human nature of Christ towards His Divinity. The AGAC, after many hesitations, remained a confessor of the heresy of Monophysitism, which for them consists not in denying the Incarnation of God, but in stubbornly insisting on the absorption by the deity of Christ of His human nature - which is a lie against Christ and a heretical teaching. It's all about this particular emphasis in the Christology of the God-man Jesus Christ. After this, neither the symbol of the Armenian faith, in which the Incarnation of Christ is orthodoxly confessed, nor the statements of individual fathers about the presence of the flesh of Christ have any significance. The Armenian Church is twice Monophysite: by its own confession of heresy and by communion with Monophysite churches (for according to the teaching of the Church, whoever communicates with a heretic is a heretic). There is no k.-l. in the AGAC. an officially approved condensed statement of the fundamentals of religious doctrine. The AGATs uses three Symbols of Faith: 1) a short Symbol used in the rite of announcement. 2) “average” in rank Divine Liturgy AGATZ, 3) a lengthy Symbol, read by the priest at the beginning of the morning service. Phrase from the third spatial symbol “one face, one appearance, and united in one nature” completely heretical, and all lies and heresies are from the devil, which is unacceptable especially when it comes to God. This heresy leads to lies about the God-man Christ, to the idea that it is impossible to imitate Christ “after all, He is more God, and humanity is swallowed up in Him.” That. humanity is humiliated in Christ and motivation for Christ-imitation is torn and grace is not given.

One misconception led to others. So only in the 12th century. Icon veneration is finally recognized; during sacred ceremonies, the Agats consumes unleavened bread according to Jewish custom and performs animal sacrifices (matah); cheese and milk foods are allowed on Saturday and Sunday during Lent. And since 965, the Agats began to rebaptize Armenians converting to it from Orthodoxy.

Main disagreements with Orthodoxy:

- in the AGAC they recognize the body of Christ not as consubstantial with us, but “incorruptible and passionless, and ethereal, and n uncreated and heavenly ones, who did everything that is characteristic of the body not in reality, but in the imagination”;

— AGAC believes that in the act of the Incarnation the body of Christ “transformed into the Divinity and became consubstantial with it, disappearing in the Divinity like a drop of honey in the sea, so that after this two natures no longer remain in Christ, but one, wholly Divine,” they confess in Christ two natures before the union, and after the union, profess a single complex, merging both - Divine and human, and as a result of this they call it a single 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. This is also a terrible lie against the God-man Jesus Christ.

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

- Yes, it’s different. Currently there are only three of them:

1) Siroyakovites, Copts and Malabarians of the Sevirian tradition. 2) Armenian Gregorian Agats (Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholics). 3) Ethiopian (Ethiopian and Eritrean “churches”).

AGATs in the past differed from the rest of the non-Chalcedonian Monophysites; 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 AGAC was significantly influenced by aphthartodocetism (the heretical doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Jesus Christ from the moment of the Incarnation).

Currently, some Armenians are more likely to show interest in the history of Armenian Christological thought, those who deliberately transferred from the AGAC to Orthodoxy , moreover, both in Armenia itself and in Russia.

With the AGAC today, a dogmatic dialogue is hardly possible at all; they are ready to discuss issues of social service, pastoral practice, various problems of public and church life, but he shows no interest in discussing dogmatic issues. Unfortunately, representatives of the AGAC placed themselves outside the Church of Christ; as a result, it turned into a self-isolated and single-national church separated from the Universal Church, having communion in faith only with Monophysite heretical churches.

How are those baptized in the AGAC (and other Monophysites) accepted into the Orthodox Church today?

— Through repentance and a special rite. This is an ancient practice; this is how non-Chalcedonites were received in the era of the Ecumenical Councils.

In 354, the first Council of the Armenian Church took place, condemning Arianism and confirming its adherence to Orthodoxy. IN 366 year the Church of Armenia, which was before in canonical depending on Caesarea See Byzantium, received autocephaly (independence).

In 387, Greater Armenia was divided, and soon its eastern part was annexed to Persia in 428, and West Side became a province of Byzantium. In 406, Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet, which made it possible to translate worship, Holy Scripture, and the works of the Church Fathers into the national language.

Representatives of the Armenian Church were present at the I and II Ecumenical Councils; decisions were also made III. But now the IV Ecumenical Council, held in 451 in the city of Chalcedon, took place without the participation of the Armenian bishops and for this reason they did not know the exact resolutions of this Council. Meanwhile, Monophysites arrived in Armenia and spread their delusions. True, the resolutions of the Council soon appeared in the Armenian Church, but, due to ignorance of the exact meaning of Greek theological terms, the Armenian teachers first fell into error without intent. However, the Armenian Council in Dovin in 527 decided to recognize Christ one nature and, thereby, unambiguously placed the AGATs among the Monophysites. The Orthodox faith was officially rejected and condemned. So the Armenian Church fell away from Orthodoxy. However, a significant part of Armenians remained in communion with the Universal Church, coming under the subordination of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In 591, Armenia was divided due to the Persian attack. Most of the country became part of the Byzantine Empire, and in the city of Avan (located northeast of Yerevan, now part of the city) Orthodox Catholicosate. He was opposed Monophysite Catholicosate, located in the city of Dvin, on Persian territory, and the Persians artificially supported it so that there would be no unity with the Byzantine Orthodox Armenians, however, there were also many Orthodox Armenians on Persian territory. During the Byzantine-Persian war 602-609. The Orthodox Catholicate was abolished by the Persian invaders. The Monophysite Catholicos Abraham initiated the persecution of the Orthodox, forcing all clerics to either anathematize the Council of Chalcedon or leave the country.

Repression not eradicated Orthodox faith among Armenians. In 630, the Council of Karin took place, at which the Armenian Church officially returned to Orthodoxy. After the Arab conquests in 726, the Agats again fell away from the Universal Church into Monophysitism. Orthodox Armenians again began to move to the territory of Byzantium, under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Those who remained in the regions of Armenia bordering Georgia found themselves under the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church. In the 9th century. The population and princes of the Taron region and the majority of the population of the Tao and Klarjeti regions were Orthodox.

Through the efforts of Saint Photius of Constantinople, as well as the Bishop of Harran, Theodore Abu Kurra, under Prince Ashot I in 862 at the Shirakavan Council, the Church of Armenia returned to Orthodoxy again, however, thirty years later, by the decision of the new Catholicos Hovhannes V, deviated towards Monophysitism.

In the 11th century in Armenia the number of departments consisting of in communication with Constantinople, in this period Orthodoxy began to prevail among Armenians. After the invasion of the Seljuk Turks in the second half of the 11th century Orthodox Armenians found themselves in jurisdiction Georgian Patriarch, and after a century and a half their bishops are already called and perceived as “Georgian”.

The last attempt to return the Armenian Church to Orthodoxy was made in 1178. Its hierarchs at the Council convened by Emperor Manuel Komnenos recognize the Orthodox confession of faith. The death of Emperor Manuel prevented the reunification. In 1198, an alliance between the Crusaders and the Armenian king of Cilicia led to the conclusion of a union between the heretical Roman Catholic and Armenian churches. This union, which was not accepted by Armenians outside Cilicia, ended in a split in the Armenian Church, resulting in the emergence of the Armenian Catholic Church in 1198. Today, the majority of Armenians living in Armenia belong to the Agats.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, who was at the Caucasian See, knew very well the state of affairs in the Armenian Church and the opinions of many Armenians, gravitated towards Orthodox faith. He said with great regret and sorrow that the Agats Church is very close to the Orthodox faith in many ways, but does not want to abandon the heresy of Monophysitism that divides us. There is only one reason for this - pride, which from many centuries of wrong confession and from mononationality The Armenian Church (which brought a sense of national exclusivity and contradicts the Gospel) only strengthened, grew and increased pride Armenian religion. About falsity proud the path of national exclusivity, God says in Scripture: “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all."(Col. 3:11). As you know, God proud resists and does not give them His saving grace (1 Peter 5:5) That is why we do not see in the AGAC such saints as Seraphim of Sarov, Matrona of Moscow and many other great saints whom the Orthodox Church gives birth to.

St. John Chrysostom, a saint recognized by all, says: “to cause divisions in the Church is no less evil than to fall into heresies… sin split Not washed away even by the blood of martyrdom.” Therefore, with sorrow and pain we wait for our brothers Armenians from sin heresy and schism, fearing the eternal destruction of those souls who are not attentive to the personality and teaching of Christ's Unity of Faith (see Eph.4:5).

“I beseech you, brethren, beware of those who make divisions and temptations, contrary to the teachings which you have learned, and deviate from them; for such people serve not to our Lord Jesus Christ, but to my own belly, And flattery and eloquence deceive the hearts of the simple." (Rom. 16:17)

So, AGAC refers to communities that are not too far from us, but are not in complete unity. Due to certain historical circumstances, but, however, not without some human sin, after the IV Ecumenical Council of 451, it found itself among those communities that are called Monophysites, which did not accept the church truth that in one hypostasis, in one person of the incarnate Son of God, two natures are united: the Divine and the true human nature, unmerged and inseparable. It so happened that the AGAC, which was once part of the united Ecumenical Church, did not accept this teaching, but shared the teaching of the Monophysites, who recognize only one nature of the incarnate God the Word - the Divine. And although we can say that now the severity of those disputes of the 5th-6th centuries has largely become a thing of the past and that the modern theology of the Agats is far from the extremes of Monophysitism, nevertheless, there is still no complete unity in faith between us.

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

It follows from this that it is still impossible to receive communion alternately in the AGAC and in the Orthodox Church, and one must make a decision, and for this, study the doctrinal positions of the AGAC and the Orthodox Church.

Of course, it is impossible to formulate the theological creed of the AGAC in a short answer, and you would hardly expect this.

(By motherprot. Oleg Davydenkov and Pravosl. Encycl.)