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 the 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, at 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 evidence (in Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Latin) 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 who converted him to Christ was the daughter of the Armenian king Sanatruk Sandukht. For professing Christianity, the apostle, together with the princess and other converts, accepted martyrdom by order of the king in Shavarshan, in the 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 Hryusiy (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 Tsakhkeats 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 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 does 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
I'm not God knows what kind of theologian.
Or rather, I am not a theologian at all. But every time I read in the blogosphere about the foundations of the Armenian church, the compiler, editor and a little author of the book “Applied Religious Studies for Journalists” begins to speak in me.
And now, in connection with the Christmas holiday, I decided to examine several of the most frequently encountered issues related to the Armenian Apostolic Church - the AAC.
Is the Armenian Church "Gregorian"?
Did the Armenians convert to Christianity in 301?
Is the AAC Orthodox?
Are all Armenians part of the AAC flock?
The Armenian Church is not Gregorian
The name “Gregorian” was coined in Russia in the 19th century, when part of Armenia was annexed to the Russian Empire. It means that the Armenian Church originates from Gregory the Illuminator, and not from the apostles.
Why was this done?
And then, when the church originates directly from the apostles, this means that its origins go back directly to Christ. The Russian Orthodox Church can call itself apostolic with great stretch, because it is known that Orthodoxy came to Rus' from Byzantium, and relatively late - in the 10th century.
True, here the concept of the catholicity of the church comes “to the aid” of the Russian Orthodox Church, that is, its spatial, temporal and qualitative universality, which the parts possess to the same extent as the whole, that is, the Russian Orthodox Church, being one of Orthodox churches, also seems to go straight back to Christ, but let’s not go too deep into theology - I noted this in fairness.
Thus, by making the Armenian church “Gregorian,” the Russian Empire (where the church was not separated from the state, and therefore the Russian Orthodox Church should have had all the advantages), seemed to deprive it of the grounds to elevate itself directly to Christ. Instead of Christ and his disciples-apostles, it turned out to be Gregory the Illuminator. Cheap and cheerful.
However, all this time the Armenian Church called itself the Apostolic Church (AAC), and it was and is called the same throughout the world - with the exception of the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, and now Russia.
By the way, another misconception is connected with this, which has become very popular in recent years.
Armenians did not accept Christianity in 301
The teaching about the Son of God began to spread in Armenia in the first century, naturally, AD. They even say 1934, but I’ve seen articles that say it was apparently 12-15 years later.
And it was like that. When Christ was crucified, after which he died, resurrected and ascended, his disciples-apostles went to different lands to spread his teaching. We know that, for example, Peter in his travels reached Rome, where he died, and the famous Vatican Church of St. was built over his grave. Petra.
And Thaddeus and Bartholomew - two of the 12 first apostles - went to the northeast, to Syria, from where they soon reached Armenia, where they successfully spread the teachings of Christ. It is from them - from the apostles - that the Armenian Church originates. That is why it is called “apostolic”.
Both of them ended their lives in Armenia. Thaddeus was tortured: he was crucified and pierced with arrows. And it was on the very spot where the monastery of St. Thaddeus, or, in Armenian, Surb Tadei vank. This is in what is now Iran. This monastery is revered in Iran and thousands of pilgrims flock there every year. Relics of St. Thaddeus is kept in Etchmiadzin.
Bartholomew was also martyred. He brought the hand-made face of the Mother of God to Armenia and built a church dedicated to her. In 68, when the persecution of Christians began, he was executed. According to legend, two thousand Christians were executed along with him. Relics of St. Bartholomew is kept in Baku, since the place of execution was the city of Alban or Albanopol, which is identified as modern Baku.
So Christianity began to spread in Armenia in the first century. And in 301, King Trdat proclaimed Christianity, which had been spreading throughout Armenia for about 250 years, as the official religion.
Therefore, it is correct to say that the Armenians adopted Christianity in the middle of the first century, and in 301 Christianity was adopted in Armenia as the state religion.
Is the AAC Orthodox?
Yes and no. If we talk about the theological foundations of the teaching, then it is Orthodox. In other words, the Christology of the AAC, as current theologians claim, is identical to Orthodoxy.
Yes, because the head of the AAC - Catholicos Karekin II - himself recently stated that the AAC is Orthodox. And the words of the Catholicos are a very important argument.
No - because according to Orthodox doctrine, the decrees of the seven Ecumenical Councils that took place from 49 to 787 are recognized. As you can see, we are talking about a very long history. The AAC recognizes only the first three.
No - because Orthodoxy is united organizational structure with their own autocephalies, that is, separate, independent churches. There are 14 recognized autocephalous churches, and there are also several so-called autonomous churches that are not recognized by everyone.
Why are the seven Ecumenical Councils so important? Because at each of them decisions were made that were important for Christian teaching. For example, at the first council they adopted the postulate that it was not necessary to observe certain Jewish rituals, at the second they adopted a creed (“creed”), at the third and fifth they condemned Nestorianism, at the seventh they condemned iconoclasm and separated the veneration of God and the worship of icons, and so on.
The Armenian Church accepted the decrees of the first three councils. The fourth ecumenical council, called the Council of Chalcedon, took place in 451. If you are familiar with the history of Armenia, then you will immediately remember that this year is known for the famous Battle of Avarayr, where Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan fought against Sasanian Persia for religious and state independence.
And since the clergy played the most important role during the uprising that ended with the Battle of Avarayr, as well as after it, the churchmen did not have the time or desire to send a delegation to the Ecumenical Council.
And this is where the problem turned out to be, because the Council made the most important decision about the essence of Christ. And the question was, is Christ God or man? If he was born of God, then, probably, he himself is also a god. But he was born from an earthly woman, therefore, he must be human.
One theologian, Nestorius from the city of Caesarea (Syria), argued that Christ is both God and man. These two essences coexist in one body due to the fact that it exists in two hypostases, which are in union and together create the “face of unity.”
And another - Eutychius from Constantinople - believed that Christ is God. And period. There is no human essence in him.
The Council of Chalcedon found some midline, condemning both the “right-wing” line of Nestor and the “left-opportunist” line of Eutyches.
The decisions of this council were not accepted by six churches: the Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Malankara Orthodox (in India). They began to be called “ancient eastern Christian churches”, or “ancient Orthodox churches”.
So, by this parameter, the AAC is an Orthodox Church.
All Armenians, by definition, are the flock of the Armenian Apostolic Church, just as all Jews are Jews.
This is also a misconception. Of course, the AAC is the largest and most influential church with two Catholicosates in Etchmiadzin and the Lebanese Antelias. But she's not the only one.
There is an Armenian Catholic Church. In fact, this is a Uniate church, that is, a church that combines elements of Catholicism and the AAC, in particular, the Armenian rite of worship.
The most famous congregation of Armenian Catholics is Mkhitari with its famous monastery on the island of St. Lazarus in Venice. Churches and monasteries of Armenian Catholics exist throughout Europe, including in Rome and Vienna (oh, what a liqueur the Viennese Mekhitarists prepare...).
In 1850, Pope Pius IX established the Artvin diocese for Catholic Armenians. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the diocese disintegrated, leaving the flock in the care of the bishop who was in Tiraspol. Yes, yes, Moldavian and Romanian Armenians, just like Ukrainian ones, were also Catholics.
The Vatican even established an ordinariate for Catholic Armenians in Gyumri. In northern Armenia, Catholics are called “frang”.
There are also Protestant Armenians.
The Evangelical Armenian Church was established in Constantinople in the mid-19th century and now has parishes in the most different countries, uniting into three evangelical unions - the Middle East, centered in Beirut, France (Paris) and North America(New Jersey). There are also many churches in Latin America, Brussels, Sydney and so on.
They say that Protestant Armenians are called “ynglyz,” but I haven’t heard that myself.
Finally, there are Muslim Armenians. A major scientific conference dedicated to Armenians who converted to Islam was recently held in Istanbul under the patronage of the Hrant Dink Foundation.
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 for various reasons separated from the two main movements. 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 the frequent 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 unified Christian movement, there has always been cultural exchange between the Armenian and Orthodox churches. This is due to the fact that the partial isolation of Armenia during the spread of Islam separated it from a significant part of the Christian world. The only “window to Europe” remained through Georgia, which by that time had already become an Orthodox state.
Thanks to this, one can find some common features in the vestments of priests, the arrangement of temples, and in some cases, architecture.
Difference
However, it makes no sense to talk about the relationship between the Orthodox and Armenian churches. It is worth at least remembering the fact that The Orthodox Church in our time is very heterogeneous in its 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 its head 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 represent the continuation and further development of the traditional eastern 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. So, the Armenian rite has National language, sacred books. It hosts a different number of people than the Orthodox. What is noteworthy is that the latter still does not have such a connection with the people, which is primarily due to the language of worship.
Finally, the most important difference, which was the reason for the Chalcedonian schism. The Armenian Apostolic Church is of the opinion that Jesus Christ is one person, that is, he has one nature. In the Orthodox tradition, it has a dual nature - it unites both God and man.
These differences are so significant that these churches considered each other to have heretical teachings, and mutual anathemas were imposed. Positive changes were achieved only in 1993, when representatives of both churches signed an agreement.
Thus, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Orthodox Church have the same origins, and also differ from each other to a lesser extent than the Armenian from the Catholic or the Catholic from the Orthodox; in fact, they are different and absolutely independent spiritual institutions.
Apostolic Church of Armenia ; among Russian-speaking commentators, the introduction introduced in Tsarist Russia Name Armenian Gregorian Church, however, this name is not used by the Armenian Church itself) is one of the oldest Christian churches, which has a number of significant features in dogma and ritual, distinguishing it both from Byzantine Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. In 301, Greater Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion , which is associated with the names of Saint Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian king Trdat III the Great.
AAC (Armenian Apostolic Church) recognizes only the first three Ecumenical Councils, because at the fourth (Chalcedon) her legates did not take part (there was no opportunity to come due to hostilities), and at this Council very important dogmas were formulated Christian doctrine. The Armenians refused to accept the decisions of the Council only due to the absence of their representatives at it and de jure deviated into Meophysitism, which means that (de jure again) they are heretics for the Orthodox. In fact, none of the modern Armenian theologians (due to the decline of the school) will say exactly how they differ from the Orthodox - they agree with us in everything, but do not want to unite in Eucharistic communion - national pride is very strong - like “this is ours” and we are not like you." The Armenian rite is used in worship.The Armenian Church is Monophysites.Monophysitism is a Christological teaching, the essence of which is that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one nature, and not two, as the Orthodox Church teaches. Historically, it appeared as an extreme reaction to the heresy of Nestorianism and had not only dogmatic, but also political reasons. They are anathema. The Catholic, Orthodox and Ancient Eastern Churches, including the Armenian, unlike all Protestant churches, believe in the Eucharist. If we present the faith purely theoretically, the differences between Catholicism, Byzantine-Slavic Orthodoxy and the Armenian Church are minimal, the commonality is, relatively speaking, 98 or 99 percent.The Armenian Church differs from the Orthodox Church in celebrating the Eucharist on unleavened bread, imposing the sign of the cross “from left to right,” calendar differences in the celebration of Epiphany, etc. holidays, the use of the organ in worship, the problem of the “Holy Fire” and so onCurrently, there are six non-Chalcedonian churches (or seven, if the Armenian Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholicosates are considered as two, de facto autocephalous churches). The ancient Eastern churches can be divided into three groups:
1) Syro-Jacobites, Copts and Malabarians (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Sevirian tradition, which is based on the theology of Sevirus of Antioch.
2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholics).
3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).
ARMENIANS- the descendants of Togarmah, the grandson of Japheth, call themselves Hayki, after Hayki, who came from Babylon 2350 years before the birth of Christ.From Armenia they subsequently scattered throughout all regions of the Greek Empire and, according to their characteristic spirit of enterprise, became members of European societies, retaining, however, their outward type, morals and religion.
Christianity, brought to Armenia by the Apostles Thomas, Thaddeus, Judas Jacob and Simon the Canaanite, was approved in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the “Illuminator”. During the IV Ecumenical Council, the Armenians separated from the Greek Church and, due to national enmity with the Greeks, became so separated from them that attempts to unite them with the Greek Church in the 12th century remained unsuccessful. But at the same time, many Armenians, under the name of Armenian Catholics, submitted to Rome.
The number of all Armenians extends to 5 million. Of these, up to 100 thousand are Armenian Catholics.
The head of the Armenian-Gregorian bears the title of Catholicos, is confirmed in his rank by the Russian Emperor and has a see in Etchmiadzin.
Armenian Catholics have their own Archbishops, supplied by the Pope
Head of the Armenian Church:His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
(now Garegin II).
Georgian Orthodox Church
(officially: Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church; cargo. — autocephalous local Orthodox Church, having sixth place in Slavic diptychs local Churches and the ninth in the diptychs of ancient Eastern patriarchates. One of the oldest Christian churches in the world
. Jurisdiction extends to the territory of Georgia and to all Georgians, wherever they reside. According to legend, based on an ancient Georgian manuscript, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God.
In 337, through the labors of the saint Equal to the Apostles Nina Christianity became the state religion of Georgia. The church organization was located within the Antiochian Church (Syrian).
In 451, together with the Armenian Church, it did not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon and in 467, under King Vakhtang I, it became independent from Antioch, acquiring the status of an autocephalous Church. with center in Mtskheta
(residence of the Supreme Catholicos). In 607 the Church accepted the decisions of Chalcedon, breaking with the Armenians.
Currently, according to the canonical structure of the united Armenian Apostolic Church, there are two Catholicosates - the Catholicosate of All Armenians, with its center in Etchmiadzin (Armenian. Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին / Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) and Cilician (Armenian) Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ Կաթողիկոսություն / Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia), with its center (since 1930) in Antilias, Lebanon. With the administrative independence of the Cilician Catholicos, the primacy of honor belongs to the Catholicos of All Armenians, who has the title of Supreme Patriarch of the AAC.
The Catholicos of All Armenians is under the jurisdiction of all dioceses within Armenia, as well as most foreign dioceses around the world, in particular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR. Under the administration of the Cilician Catholicos are the dioceses of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus.
There are also two autonomous patriarchates of the AAC - Constantinople and Jerusalem, canonically subordinate to the Catholicos of All Armenians. The Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople have the ecclesiastical degree of archbishop. The Jerusalem Patriarchate is in charge of the Armenian churches of Israel and Jordan, and the Patriarchate of Constantinople is in charge of the Armenian churches of Turkey and the island of Crete (Greece).
Church organization in Russia
- New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese Rostov Vicariate of the AAC Western Vicariate of the AAC
- Diocese of the South of Russia AAC North Caucasus Vicariate of the AAC
Spiritual degrees in the AAC
Unlike the Greek tripartite (bishop, priest, deacon) system of spiritual degrees of hierarchy, there are five spiritual degrees in the Armenian Church.
- Catholicos/Head of the Bishop/ (has absolute authority to perform the Sacraments, including the 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).
- Bishop, Archbishop (differs from the Catholicos in some limited powers. The bishop can ordain and anoint priests, but usually cannot independently ordain bishops, but only concelebrate with the Catholicos in episcopal consecration. When a new Catholicos is elected, twelve bishops will anoint him, elevating him to a spiritual degree).
- Priest, Archimandrite(performs all the Sacraments except Ordination).
- Deacon(will serve in the Sacraments).
- Dpir(the lowest spiritual degree received at episcopal ordination. Unlike a deacon, he does not read the Gospel at the liturgy and does not offer the liturgical cup).
Dogmatics
Christology
The Armenian Apostolic Church belongs to the group of Ancient Eastern churches. She did not participate in the IV Ecumenical Council for objective reasons and, like all the Ancient Eastern churches, did not accept its resolutions. In its dogmatics, it is based on the decisions of the first three Ecumenical Councils and adheres to the pre-Chalcedonian Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who professed One of the two natures of God, the Word incarnate (miaphysitism). Theological critics of the AAC argue that its Christology should be interpreted as Monophysitism, which the Armenian Church rejects, anathematizing both Monophysitism and Dyophysitism.
Icon veneration
Among critics of the Armenian Church there is an opinion that in early period Iconoclasm was characteristic of her. This opinion could arise due to the fact that in general there are few icons and no iconostasis in Armenian churches, but this is only a consequence of the local ancient tradition, historical conditions and the general asceticism of the decoration (that is, from the point of view of the Byzantine tradition of icon veneration, when all the walls of the temple are covered with icons, this can be perceived as the “absence” of icons or even “iconoclasm”). On the other hand, such an opinion could have developed due to the fact that believing Armenians usually do not keep icons at home. The Cross was more often used in home prayer. This is due to the fact that the icon in the AAC must certainly be consecrated by the hand of the bishop with holy chrism, and therefore it is more of a temple shrine than an indispensable attribute of home prayer.
According to critics of “Armenian iconoclasm”, the main reasons that determined its appearance are considered to be the rule of Muslims in Armenia in the 8th-9th centuries, whose religion prohibits images of people, “monophysitism”, which does not presuppose 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, 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 large periods. 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 matakh, a bull, ram or poultry(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). Other options Sign of the Cross The AAC does not consider practices practiced in other churches to be “wrong,” but perceives them as a natural local tradition.
Calendar features
The Armenian Apostolic Church as a whole lives according to the Gregorian calendar, but communities in the diaspora, on the territory of churches using the Julian calendar, with the blessing of the bishop can also live according to the Julian calendar. That is, the calendar is not given a “dogmatic” status. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, according to the status quo accepted between the Christian churches that have rights to the Holy Sepulcher, lives according to the Julian calendar, like the Greek Patriarchate.
An important prerequisite for the spread of Christianity was the existence of Jewish colonies in Armenia. As is known, the first preachers of Christianity usually began their activities in those places where Jewish communities were located. Jewish communities existed in the main cities of Armenia: Tigranakert, Artashat, Vagharshapat, Zareavan, etc. Tertullian in his 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), Khosrov 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 an organized and recognized by the universal church Christian community.
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 Yeriza, 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 issues two decrees: the first of them orders the arrest of all Christians within Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to betray death penalty sheltering 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 in its place a temple dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was erected. 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, “who had long been friends and allies of Rome, moreover, this god-fighter tried to force zealous Christians to sacrifice 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. Over the course of 10 years, Christianity in Armenia took such deep roots that during its new faith Armenians took up arms against the strong Roman Empire.
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 Catholicos, 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 schools in various places in Armenia. Translated and original literature originates and develops in Armenia. The translation work was headed by Catholicos Sahak, who first of all translated the Bible from Syriac and Greek into Armenian. At the same time, he sent his best students to the famous cultural centers of that time: Edessa, Amid, Alexandria, Athens, Constantinople and other cities to improve their skills in Syriac and Greek languages and translations of 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 southern regions bordering Persia, shared the interests of the Persians. Two political movements emerged in Armenia: Byzantophile and Persophile.
After the Third Ecumenical Council, those persecuted in Byzantine Empire supporters of Nestorius found refuge in Persia and began to translate and disseminate the writings of Diodorus of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia, which were not condemned at the Council of Ephesus. Bishop Akakios of Melitina and Patriarch Proclus of Constantinople warned Catholicos Sahak about the spread of Nestorianism in 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 flat part of Cilicia to his possessions and founded the Armenian Principality of Cilicia on the northeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. In 1198 this principality became a kingdom and existed until 1375. Together with the royal throne The patriarchal throne of Armenia also moved to Cilicia (-).
The Pope wrote a letter to the Armenian Catholicos, in which he recognized the Orthodoxy of the Armenian Church and, for the perfect unity of the two Churches, invited the Armenians to mix water into the Holy Chalice and celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25. Innocent II also sent a bishop's staff as a gift to the Armenian Catholicos. From that time on, the Latin staff appeared in use in the Armenian Church, which bishops began to use, and the Eastern Greco-Cappadocia staff became the property of the archimandrites. In 1145, Catholicos Gregory III turned to Pope Eugenius III (-) for political assistance, and Gregory IV turned to Pope Lucius III (-). Instead of helping, however, the popes again suggested that the AAC mix water into the Holy Chalice, celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25, etc.
King Hethum sent the pope's message to Catholicos Constantine and asked for an answer. The Catholicos, although full of respect for the Roman throne, could not accept the conditions that the pope proposed. Therefore, he sent a 15-point message to King Hethum, in which he rejected the teachings of the Catholic Church and asked the king not to trust the West. The Roman throne, having received such a response, limited its proposals and, in a letter written in 1250, proposed to accept only the doctrine of the filioque. To respond to this proposal, Catholicos Constantine convened the Third Council of Sis in 1251. Without reaching a final decision, the council turned to the opinion church leaders Eastern Armenia. The problem was new for the Armenian Church, and it is natural that in the initial period there could be different opinions. However, no decision was ever made.
The 16th-17th centuries saw the period of the most active confrontation between these powers for a dominant position in the Middle East, including power over the territory of Armenia. Therefore, from that time on, the dioceses and communities of the AAC were divided on a territorial basis into Turkish and Persian for several centuries. Since the 16th century, both of these parts of the single church developed in different conditions and had different legal status, which affected the structure of the AAC hierarchy and the relationships of various communities within it.
After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1461, the Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Constantinople was formed. The first Armenian patriarch in Istanbul was the Archbishop of Bursa Hovagim, who headed the Armenian communities in Asia Minor. The patriarch was endowed with broad religious and administrative powers and was the head (bashi) of a special “Armenian” millet (ermeni milleti). In addition to the Armenians themselves, the Turks included in this millet all Christian communities that were not included in the uniting Greek Orthodox Christians in the territory Ottoman Empire"Byzantine" millet. In addition to believers of other non-Chalcedonian Ancient Eastern Orthodox churches, the Maronites, Bogomils and Catholics of the Balkan Peninsula were included in the Armenian millet. Their hierarchy was administratively subordinate to the Armenian Patriarch in Istanbul.
In the 16th century, other historical thrones of the AAC also found themselves on the territory of the Ottoman Empire - the Akhtamar and Cilician Catholicosates and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Despite the fact that the Catholicoses of Cilicia and Akhtamar were higher in spiritual rank than the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was only an archbishop, they were administratively subordinate to him as the Armenian ethnarch in Turkey.
The throne of the Catholicos of all Armenians in Etchmiadzin ended up on the territory of Persia, and the throne of the Catholicos of Albania, subordinate to the AAC, was also located there. Armenians in the territories subordinate to Persia almost completely lost their rights to autonomy, and the AAC here remained the only public institution that could represent the nation and influence social life. Catholicos Movses III (-) managed to achieve a certain unity of governance in Etchmiadzin. He strengthened the position of the church in the Persian state, obtaining from the government an end to bureaucratic abuses and the abolition of taxes for the AAC. His successor, Pilipos I, sought to strengthen the ties of the church dioceses of Persia, subordinate to Etchmiadzin, with dioceses in the Ottoman Empire. In 1651, he convened a local council of the AAC in Jerusalem, at which all the contradictions between the autonomous thrones of the AAC caused by the political division were eliminated.
However, in the 2nd half of the 17th century, a confrontation arose between Etchmiadzin and the growing power of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Egiazar of Constantinople, with the support of the Sublime Porte, was proclaimed the Supreme Catholicos of the AAC, as opposed to the legitimate Catholicos of all Armenians with the throne in Etchmiadzin. In 1664 and 1679, Catholicos Hakob VI visited Istanbul and held negotiations with Yeghiazar on unity and division of powers. In order to eliminate the conflict and not destroy the unity of the church, according to their agreement, after the death of Hakob (1680), the Etchmiadzin throne was occupied by Yegiazar. Thus, a single hierarchy and a single supreme throne of the AAC were preserved.
The confrontation between the Turkic tribal unions Ak-Koyunlu and Kara-Koyunlu, which took place mainly on the territory of Armenia, and then the wars between the Ottoman Empire and Iran led to enormous destruction in the country. The Catholicosate in Etchmiadzin made efforts to preserve the idea of national unity and national culture, improving the church-hierarchical system, but the difficult situation in the country forced many Armenians to seek salvation in foreign lands. By this time, Armenian colonies with the corresponding church structure already existed in Iran, Syria, Egypt, as well as in Crimea and Western Ukraine. In the 18th century, the 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 XVII-XVIII centuries there was an increase in the propaganda activity of the Roman Catholic Church. The AAC as a whole took a sharply negative position towards the missionary activities of Rome among the Armenians. Nevertheless, in the middle of the 17th century, the most significant Armenian colony in Europe (in Western Ukraine), under powerful political and ideological pressure, was forced to convert to Catholicism. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Armenian bishops of Aleppo and Mardin openly spoke out in favor of converting to Catholicism.
In Constantinople, where the political interests of East and West intersected, European embassies and Catholic missionaries from the Dominican, Franciscan and Jesuit orders launched active proselytizing activities among the Armenian community. As a result of the influence of Catholics, a split occurred among the Armenian clergy in the Ottoman Empire: several bishops converted to Catholicism and, through the mediation of the French government and the papacy, separated from the AAC. In 1740, with the support of Pope Benedict XIV, they formed the Armenian Catholic Church, which became subordinate to the Roman throne.
At the same time, the ties of the AAC with Catholics played a significant role in the revival of the national culture of the Armenians and the dissemination of European ideas of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Since 1512 in Amsterdam (printing house of the monastery of Agop Megaparta), and then in Venice, Marseille and other cities Western Europe Books began to be published in Armenian. The first Armenian printed publication Holy Scripture 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. TO end of the XVIII centuries, 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 critical area The activity of the Church becomes 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, deployed active work aimed at the annexation of Armenia to Russia. The Armenian clergy of the Erivan, Nakhichevan and Karabakh khanates sought to get rid of the power of Persia and linked the salvation of their people with the support of Christian Russia.
With the beginning of the Russian-Persian War, Tiflis Bishop Nerses Ashtaraketsi contributed to the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments, which made a significant contribution to the victories of Russian troops in Transcaucasia. In 1828, according to the Treaty of Turkmanchay, Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire.
The activities of the Armenian Church under the rule of the Russian Empire proceeded in accordance with the special “Regulations” (“Code of Laws of the Armenian Church”), approved by Emperor Nicholas I in 1836. According to this document, in particular, the Albanian Catholicosate was abolished, the dioceses of which became part of the AAC itself. Compared to other Christian communities in the Russian Empire, the Armenian Church, due to its confessional isolation, occupied a special position 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 also acquired a new status in the 19th century. After Russian-Turkish war 1828-1829, thanks to the mediation of European powers, Catholic and Protestant communities were created in Constantinople, which included a significant number of Armenians. Nevertheless, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople continued to be considered by the Sublime Porte as the official representative of the entire Armenian population of the empire. The election of the patriarch was approved by the Sultan's charter, and the Turkish authorities tried in every possible way to bring him under their control, using political and social levers. The slightest violation of the limits of competence and disobedience could lead to deposition from the throne.
Increasingly wider layers of society were involved in the sphere of activity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the AAC, and the patriarch gradually acquired significant influence in the Armenian Church of the Ottoman Empire. Without his intervention, internal church, cultural or political issues of the Armenian community were not resolved. The Patriarch of Constantinople acted as a mediator during Turkey’s contacts with Etchmiadzin. According to the “National Constitution”, developed in 1860-1863 (in the 1880s, its operation was suspended by Sultan Abdul Hamid II), the spiritual and civil administration of the entire Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was under the authority of two councils: the spiritual (of 14 bishops chaired by the patriarch) and secular (of 20 members elected by a meeting of 400 representatives of Armenian communities).