How does the Armenian Church differ from the Orthodox. Armenian Apostolic Church

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

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

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

The Gregorian Armenians remain. This is a somewhat conventional term, introduced for convenience. Let's talk about them in detail.

Armenian Christianity before 505

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

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

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

In 354 the first church cathedral("Ashtishatsky"), who condemned the Arian heresy and decided to create monasteries in Armenia. (I wonder why there were no monasteries in Georgia at that time)

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

Monophysitism and Nestrianism

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

This version immediately had many opponents, who, however, went to the other extreme: they announced that Jesus was only God, and the human essence was completely absent in him. This thesis about the single nature (mono-physis) of Christ came to be called Monophysitism.

Any heresy is harmless as long as it exists in the form of an abstract philosophy, but bad when consequences are derived from it. All late totalitarianism, fascism, dictatorships and tyranny grew out of Monophysitism - that is, the philosophy of the superiority of the state over the personal. Islam is also pure monophysism.

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

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

The split was deep and serious. Emperor Zeno, an immoral and not very thinking person, decided to simply reconcile everyone with everyone, refusing the decision of the Council of Chalcedon, but without condemning him directly. All this was set forth by the emperor in a document known as Zeno's Enoticon of 482.

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

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

Dvina cathedrals

In 505, the First Dvinsky Cathedral of Transcaucasia met. The council once again condemned Nestorianism and adopted the document "Epistle of Faith", which has not survived to this day. In this document, the churches of Armenia, Georgia and Albania condemned Nestorianism and extreme Monophysitism, recognizing moderate Monophysitism as the basis of faith.

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

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

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

In 609-610, the Third Dvina Cathedral was assembled. Georgia at that moment was gradually returning back to Orthodoxy, and the Armenian Church condemned these encroachments. At the council, it was decided to break off communication with the Georgian church, not to go to Georgian temples and not allow Georgians to take communion. So in 610 the paths of the Georgian and Armenian churches finally diverged.

What happened next

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

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

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

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

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

What now

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

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

According to the teachings of Miaphysitism, Christ had one hypostasis and one "God-human" nature.

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

In addition, Orthodox theologians do not really understand what a "God-human rite" is. This is the main question of this discussion - can the divine-human nature exist in principle? Try to figure out for yourself who is right and who is wrong in this dispute. Maybe you will be able to imagine "a single divine-human nature." I haven't been able to yet.

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

Material culture of the Armenian Church

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

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

I am not God knows what theologian.

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

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

Is the Armenian Church "Gregorian"?

Did the Armenians accept Christianity in 301?

Is the AAC Orthodox?

Are all Armenians the flock of the Armenian Apostolic Church?

Armenian Church is not Gregorian

The name "Gregorian" was coined in Russia in the 19th century, when part of Armenia was annexed to 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, that when the church originates directly from the apostles, this means that its origins go straight to Christ. The ROC, however, can call itself apostolic with a big stretch, because it is known that Orthodoxy came to Russia from Byzantium, and relatively late - in the 10th century.

True, here the concept of the catholicity of the church comes to the “help” of the ROC, that is, its spatial, temporal and qualitative universality, which the parts possess to the same extent as the whole, that is, the ROC, being one of the Orthodox churches, also, as it were, ascends straight to Christ, but let's not delve too deeply into theology - I noted this for the sake of justice.

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

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

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

Armenians did not accept Christianity in 301

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is the AAC Orthodox?

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

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

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

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

Why are the seven ecumenical councils so important? Because at each decision was made that had importance 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 the creed (“creed”), at the third and fifth they condemned Nestorianism, at the seventh they condemned iconoclasm and separated the veneration of God and the worship of icons, and so on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are also Protestant Armenians.

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

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

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

Description:

Armenian Apostolic Church(full name Armenian Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church) is one of ancient churches world, which includes the vast majority of the inhabitants of the Republic of Armenia, the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as well as the majority of Armenians living in the diaspora in many countries of the world. Belongs to the family of the Ancient Eastern Pre-Chalcedonian Churches.

The dioceses and parishes of the Armenian Church are scattered across the five continents of the world and unite, according to various estimates, from 7 to 9 million believers.

The supreme body of the Armenian Church is the Church-National Council, which consists of clergy and secular persons. At the Council, the Supreme Spiritual Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church is elected, which is His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Supreme Spiritual Council under the Catholicos currently consists of 2 Patriarchs, 10 Archbishops, 4 Bishops and 5 Laity.

Spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church -.

The Armenian Apostolic Church unites two administratively independent Catholicosates - Etchmiadzin and Cilicia, and two Patriarchates - Jerusalem and Constantinople, which do not have subordinate sees and are spiritually dependent on the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of all Armenians.

The Catholicoses of the Armenian Church have the exclusive right to consecrate the holy myrrh (the celebration of chrism takes place once every seven years) and to ordain bishops. Episcopal ordination is performed by the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of All Armenians or the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, co-served by two bishops. A bishop elevated to the rank of Catholicos is anointed by several (from 3 to 12) bishops. The competence of the Catholicoses includes the blessing of new church laws, the establishment of new holidays, the establishment of new dioceses and other issues of church administration.

Echmiadzin Catholicosate

In the jurisdiction of the See of Etchmiadzin there are dioceses in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Azerbaijan (currently not replaced), Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Greece, Romania, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Armenian communities in countries Western Europe, Africa and India.

Cilician Catholicosate

The throne of the Most Holy Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia (since 1995 - Aram I Keshishian) is located in the city of Antillas near Beirut (Lebanon). It has jurisdiction over dioceses in Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and a vicariate in Kuwait.

Jerusalem Patriarchate

Under the leadership of His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem, Primate of the Apostolic See St. James (since 1990 - Torkom II Manukyan), there are Armenian communities in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. The Patriarch takes care of the holy places belonging to the Armenian Church in Palestine. In his submission are 2 vicariates (Amman and Haifa) and 2 rectors (Jaffa and Ramla).

Patriarchate of Constantinople

The role of the Throne of Constantinople significantly decreased after the genocide of 1915. Today, the flock of the Patriarchate of Constantinople consists of several tens of thousands of Armenians living in Turkey. Under the control of His Beatitude the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and all Turkey is the Patriarchal region - Turkey, which also includes vicariates: Rumelihisary, Kayseri, Diyarbakir, Iskenderun. There are more than 30 churches.

In connection with the illness of the Patriarch of Constantinople (since 1998 - Mesrob II Mutafyan), his duties are performed by Archbishop Aram Ateshyan.

The main shrines of the Armenian Church are kept in Etchmiadzin:

• The holy spear (Geghard), which pierced the rib of Jesus Christ, according to legend, was brought to Armenia by the Apostle Thaddeus;
• The right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator is a symbol of the power of the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of all Armenians. During the chrismation, the Catholicos consecrates the chrism with the Holy Spear and Hand of St. Gregory;
• a particle of the tree of Noah's ark, which stopped "on the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:4) - was found at the beginning of the 4th century. Bishop Jacob of Nisibinsk.

Divine services of the Armenian Church are conducted in the ancient Armenian language (grabar). On January 1, 1924, a transition to a new calendar style took place, however, the dioceses within Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, as well as the Jerusalem Patriarchate, continue to use the old style (Julian calendar).

Among the features of the Armenian worship and church calendar:

• On January 6, the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated, uniting the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany;
• in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, unleavened bread and undiluted wine are used;
• when singing the Trisagion, after the words “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal”, the words “Crucify us” or others are added;
• Armenians are baptized with three fingers, touching their forehead, below the chest, left, and then right side chest, and at the end put a palm to the chest;
• the so-called Advanced Lent (Arajavorats) is celebrated, coming three weeks before Lent;
• on the days of major holidays, animals are sacrificed (matah), which has a charitable character.

More about the Armenian Apostolic Church (articles from the "Orthodox Encyclopedia"):

Website: http://www.armenianchurch.org/ Subsidiary organization: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Primate:

Apostolic Church of Armenia ; among Russian-speaking commentators, what is introduced in tsarist Russia title 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 from both 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 St. 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 (it was not possible to come because of hostilities), and at this Council very important dogmas of Christian doctrine were formulated. The Armenians refused to accept the decisions of the Council only in view of the absence of their representatives on 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) can say for sure how they differ from the Orthodox - they agree with us in everything, but they don’t want to unite in Eucharistic communion - national pride is very strong - like "this is our and we are not like you." In worship, the Armenian rite is used.The Armenian Church is the Monophysites.Monophysitism is a Christological doctrine, 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 anathematized. The Catholic, Orthodox and Ancient Eastern Churches, including the Armenian, unlike all Protestant churches, believe in the Eucharist. If we express 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 in the celebration of the Eucharist on unleavened bread, the sign of the cross "from left to right", calendar differences in the celebration of the Epiphany, and so on. holidays, the use of the organ in worship, the problem of " Holy Fire» and so on
There are currently 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 Malabars (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Severian tradition, which is based on the theology of Severus of Antioch.

2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilicia Catholicasates).

3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).

ARMENIANS- the descendants of Fogarma, the grandson of Japheth, call themselves Haikami, after the name of Haiki, a native of Babylon 2350 years before the birth of Christ.
From Armenia, they subsequently dispersed throughout all regions of the Greek Empire and, according to their characteristic spirit of enterprise, became members of European societies, retaining, however, their outdoor type, customs and religion.
Christianity, brought to Armenia by the Apostles Thomas, Thaddeus, Judas Jacob and Simon the Zealot, was approved in the 4th century by St. Gregory the “Illuminator”. During the 4th Ecumenical Council, the Armenians separated from the Greek Church and, due to national enmity with the Greeks, separated from them to such an extent that the attempts made in the 12th century to unite them with the Greek Church were 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 Armenian Catholics.
The head of the Armenian-Gregorian bears the title of Catholicos, is confirmed in his rank Russian Emperor and has a department in Etchmiadzin.
Armenian Catholics have their own Archbishops, supplied by the Pope

Head of the Armenian Church:His Holiness 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 the sixth place in the diptychs of the Slavic local Churches and the ninth in the diptychs of the 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 live. According to a 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 within the boundaries of the Church of Antioch (Syria).
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. centered in Mtskheta (residence of the Supreme Catholicos). In 607, the Church accepted the decisions of Chalcedon, breaking with the Armenians.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Modern non-Chalcedonites are trying to modify their teaching, they argue that their fathers are accused of Monophysitism unfairly, since they anathematized Eutychus 1, but this is a change in style that does not affect the essence of the Monophysite dogma. The works of their contemporary theologians testify that there are no fundamental changes in their doctrine, significant differences between the Monophysite Christology of the 6th century. and no modern. Back in the VI century. the doctrine of the “single complex nature of Christ” appears, which was composed of deity and humanity and possesses the properties of both natures. However, this does not imply the recognition in Christ of two perfect natures - the nature of the divine and the nature of man. In addition, Monophysitism is almost always accompanied by a Monophilite and Monoenergetic 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.

– Does the Armenian direction of Monophysitism differ from its other types?

- Yes, it is different. There are currently 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 Malabars (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Severian tradition, which is based on the theology of Severus of Antioch.

2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilicia Catholicasates).

3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).

The Armenian Church in the past differed from other non-Chalcedonian churches, even Sever of Antioch was anathematized by the Armenians in the 6th century. at one of the Dvina cathedrals as an insufficiently consistent Monophysite. The theology of the Armenian Church was significantly influenced by Aphthartodoketism (the doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Jesus Christ from the moment of the Incarnation). The emergence of this radical Monophysite doctrine is associated with the name of Julian of Halicarnassus, one of the main opponents of Severus within the Monophysite camp.

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

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

– Is there a theological dialogue with the pre-Chalcedonian churches now?

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

The Christological teaching of these agreements aims to find a compromise between the Orthodox and the Ancient Eastern churches on the basis of a theological position that could be characterized as "moderate Monophysitism". They contain ambiguous theological formulas that allow for a Monophysite interpretation. Therefore, the reaction in the Orthodox world to them is not unambiguous: four Orthodox Churches accepted them, some accepted with reservations, and some are fundamentally against these agreements.

The Russian Orthodox Church has also recognized that these agreements are not sufficient to restore Eucharistic communion, since they contain ambiguities in Christological teaching. Further work is required to eliminate ambiguous interpretations. For example, the teaching of the Covenants about wills and actions in Christ can be understood both diphysite (Orthodox) and monophysite. It all depends on how the reader understands the relationship between will and hypostasis. Is the will considered as belonging to nature, as in Orthodox theology, or it is assimilated into hypostasis, which is characteristic of Monophysitism. The Second Agreed Statement of 1990, which forms the basis of the 1993 Chambesia Accords, does not provide an answer to this question.

A dogmatic dialogue with the Armenians today is hardly possible at all, due to their lack of interest in problems of a dogmatic nature. After the mid 90s. it became clear that the dialogue with the non-Chalcedonites had reached a dead end, the Russian Orthodox Church began bilateral dialogues - not with all the non-Chalcedonian Churches together, but with each one separately. As a result, three directions for bilateral dialogues were determined: 1) with the Syrian-Jacobites, Copts and the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, who agreed to conduct a dialogue only in such a composition; 2) Etchmiadzin Catholicosate and 3) with the Ethiopian Church (this direction has not been developed). The dialogue with the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin did not touch upon dogmatic issues. The Armenian side is ready to discuss issues social service, pastoral practice, various problems of social and church life, but does not show interest in discussing dogmatic issues.

– How are Monophysites today accepted in Orthodox Church?

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

Alexander Filippov spoke with Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov.