Saint-Etchmiadzine (Arménie - tourisme . Saint-Etchmiadzine t. 1) (French Edition)

Tiridates declared Gregory to be the first Catholicos of the Armenian Church and sent him to Caesarea to be consecrated. Upon his return, Gregory tore down shrines to idols, built churches and monasteries, and ordained many priests and bishops. While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat , Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer. From that spot arose a great Christian temple with a huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there.

With the king's help he did so in accordance with his vision, renaming the city Etchmiadzin , which means "the place of the descent of the Only-Begotten ". Initially, the Armenian Church participated in the larger Christian world and its Catholicos was represented at the First Council of Nicea In , King Papas Pap appointed Catholicos Husik without first sending him to Caesarea for commissioning before Rome had any plans for a universal Roman church. Christianity was strengthened in Armenia in the 5th century by the translation of the Bible into the Armenian language by the native theologian , monk , and scholar , Saint Mesrop Mashtots.

Before the 5th century, Armenians had a spoken language, but it was not written. The Catholicos Sahak commissioned Mesrop to create the Armenian alphabet , which he completed in Subsequently, the Bible and Liturgy were translated into Armenian and written in the new script. The translation of the Bible, along with works of history, literature and philosophy , caused a flowering of Armenian literature and a broader cultural renaissance.

Although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus , Catholicos Isaac Parthiev sent a message agreeing with its decisions. The participation of the Catholicoi of Georgia and Albania were set to make clear the position of the churches concerning the Council of Chalcedon. The "Book of Epistles" mentions that 20 bishops, 14 laymen, and many nakharars rulers of Armenia participated in the council.

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The involvement in the council discussion of different level of lay persons seemed to be a general rule in Armenia. Almost a century later — the 3rd Council of Dvin was convened during the reign of Catholicos Abraham I of Aghbatank and Prince Smbat Bagratuni , with clergymen and laymen participating. The Georgian Church disagreed with the Armenian Church, having approved the christology of Chalcedon.

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This council was convened to clarify the relationship between the Armenian and Georgian churches. After the Council, Catholicos Abraham wrote an encyclical letter addressed to the people, blaming Kurion and his adherents for the schism. The Council never set up canons; it only deprived Georgians from taking Communion in the Armenian Church. Like all Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Armenian Church has been referred to as monophysite by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologians because it rejected the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon , which condemned the belief of one incarnate nature of Christ monophysis.

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The Armenian Church officially severed ties with Rome and Constantinople in , during the Second Council of Dvin where the Chalcedonian dyophysite christological formula was rejected. However, again like other Oriental Orthodox Churches, [19] the Armenian Orthodox Church argues that the identification as "monophysitism" is an incorrect description of its position. To distinguish this from Eutychian and other versions of Monophysitism this position is called miaphysitism.

In recent times, both Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian churches have developed a deeper understanding for each other's positions, recognizing their substantial agreement while maintaining their respective theological language. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the central religious authority for the Armenian Orthodox population in Armenia as well as for Armenian Orthodox communities worldwide.

It is headed by a Catholicos the plural is Catholicoi. It is traditional in Eastern churches for the supreme head of the church to be named ' Patriarch ', but in the Armenian Apostolic Church hierarchy, the position of the Catholicos is not higher than that of the Patriarch. Both clergy and laity are involved in the administrative structure of the Church.

Led by Karekin II, the spiritual and administrative work of the Armenian Church is carried out in Armenia in the areas of religion, preparation of clergy, Christian education, construction of new churches, social services, and ecumenical activities.

Armenian Apostolic Church

The three aforementioned historic hierarchical sees administer to the dioceses under their jurisdiction as they see fit, while there is only spiritual authority of the Catholicosate of All Armenians. In addition to the responsibilities of overseeing their respective Dioceses, each hierarchical See, and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, has a Monastic Brotherhood. Over a 6-year course of simultaneous study, students receive both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Theology.

Upon graduation, students receive the equivalent of a high school diploma and pre-graduate theological study. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem operates the St. Tarkmanchatz School high school diploma as well as the Theological Seminary of the Patriarchate. Graduates from the Theological Seminary can become ordained priests.. The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople had its own seminary, the Holy Cross Patriarchal Seminary, which was shut down by Turkish authorities in Turkey along with all other private schools of higher education.

Regionally, each area of the world where the Armenian Church and faithful are located has dioceses , which are led by a primate from the Diocesan headquarters. Each diocese is made up of parishes and smaller communities.

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The spiritual and administrative bodies representing the authority of the Armenian Church are the following:. The National Ecclesiastical Assembly is the supreme legislative body presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians. The members of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly are elected by the individual Diocesan Assemblies. The Council of Bishops is an administrative-deliberative body presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians. It makes suggestions on the dogmatic, religious, church, parish and canonical issues to be discussed as agenda items during the National Ecclesiastical Assembly.

The Diocesan Assembly is the highest legislative canonical body of each Diocese and is headed by the Primate of the Diocese. The Diocesan delegates representatives of each parish community elect the delegates to the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, the members of the Diocesan Council as well as discuss and decide on administrative issues within the Diocese such as committees, budgets, building, etc. The Diocesan Council is the highest executive power of a diocese, presided over by the Primate of the Diocese.

It regulates the inner administrative activity of the Diocese under the direction of the Primate. The Diocesan Assembly elects members of the Diocesan Council. The Monastic Brotherhood consists of the celibate clergy of the monastery who are led by an abbot. As of , there were three brotherhoods in the Armenian Church — the brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the brotherhood of St. Each Armenian celibate priest becomes a member of the brotherhood in which he has studied and ordained in or under the jurisdiction of which he has served.

The brotherhood makes decisions concerning the inner affairs of the monastery. Each brotherhood elects two delegates who take part in the National Ecclesiastical Assembly. The Parish Assembly is the general assembly of the community presided over by the spiritual pastor. The Parish Assembly elects or appoints the members of the Parish Council and the representatives or delegates to the Diocesan Assembly. The Parish Council is the executive-administrative body of the community.

It is presided over by the spiritual pastor of the community who takes up the inner administrative affairs of the parish and is engaged in the realization of its administrative and financial activities. Members of the parish council are elected or appointed at the parish assembly. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of a few apostolic churches in the world to have a democratic system; the people decide if they want to keep priests in their churches and may ask for different ones, as do some other ecclesiastical constitutions, such as Baptists and other Congregational churches.

The Armenian Apostolic Church currently has two Sees, with the Catholicos of All Armenians residing in Etchmiadzin , Armenia , at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, having pre-eminent supremacy in all spiritual matters over the See of Cilicia , located in Antelias, Lebanon , which administers to the dioceses under its jurisdiction as they see fit.

The two Sees are as follows:. Preserving the past are the numerous museums, libraries and the Mother Cathedral itself, all holding a vast richness of history and treasures. The Mother See is responsible for the preservation of artifacts, both those created by the Church and those given to the church as gifts over time. Carrying on the work of the present and future are the innumerable departments and programs of the Armenian Church.

Under the leadership and guidance of Karekin II, the Mother See administers to social, cultural and educational programs for Armenia and the Diaspora. The Mother Cathedral is the most recognised landmark of the Armenian Church. Built and consecrated by St. Gregory the Illuminator and St. It is said that St. Gregory chose the location of the Cathedral in accordance with a vision. In his dream he saw "Miatsin", the Only Begotten Son of God, with glittering light on his face descending from the Heavens and with a golden hammer striking the ground where the Cathedral was to be located.

Hence comes the name "Etchmiadzin", which translates literally to "the place" where Miatsin descended. In the United States, Canada, Syria, and Greece there are also Dioceses that are related to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, so there is duality of representation of the Armenian Apostolic churches in these countries. The rise of the Great House of Cilicia as an autocephalous church occurred after the fall of Ani and the Armenian Kingdom of the Bagradits in Masses of Armenians migrated to Cilicia and the Catholicosate was established there. The seat of the church now known as the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia was first established in Sivas AD moving to Tavbloor , then to Dzamendav , Dzovk , Hromgla , and finally to Sis , then-capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.

Beginning in and continuing for more than six centuries, the city of Sis modern-day Kozan, Adana , Turkey was the center of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. After the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , in , the Church continued in its leadership role in the Armenian community, and the Catholicos was recognized as Ethnarch Head of Nation. Since , there have continued to be two Catholicosates in the Armenian Church, each having rights and privileges, and each with its own jurisdiction.

Sophia of Sis which can be seen to dominate the town in early 20th-century photographs , was destroyed. The division of the two Catholicosates stemmed from frequent relocations of Church headquarters due to political and military upheavals. The division between the two sees intensified during the Soviet period and to some extent reflected the politics of the Cold War. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ARF Dashnaktsutyun social democratic political party that had dominated the independent Armenia from to and was active in the diaspora, saw the Church and clergy, with its worldwide headquarters at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Soviet Republic of Armenia , as a captive Communist puppet, and accused its clergy in the US as unduly influenced by Communists, particularly as the clergy were reluctant to participate in nationalist events and memorials that could be perceived as anti-Soviet.

Nine ARF members were later arrested, tried and convicted. The incident divided the Armenian community, as ARF sympathizers established congregations independent of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, declaring loyalty instead to the See based in Antelias in Lebanon. The division was formalized in when the Antelias Cilician See accepted to provide spiritual and religious guidance to those communities that the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin refused.

The separation has become entrenched in the United States, with most large Armenian communities having two parish churches, one answering to each See, even though they are theologically indistinguishable. There have been numerous lay and clergy efforts at reunion, especially since the fall of the Soviet Union. He was unable to unite the two Catholicosates, however, despite his having headed both.

The Armenian Apostolic Church also has two Patriarchates of high authority both under the jurisdiction of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Liturgically speaking, the Church has much in common both with the Latin Rite in its externals, especially as it was at the time of separation, as well as with the Eastern Orthodox Church.

For example, Armenian bishops wear mitres almost identical to those of Western bishops. They usually do not use a full iconostasis , but rather a sanctuary veil a curtain usually with a cross or divine image in the center, used also by the Syriac Churches. The liturgical music is Armenian chant. Many of the Armenian churches also have pipe organs to accompany their chant. Armenian priests below the rank of Very Reverend are allowed to be married before ordination and their descendants' surnames are prefixed with the prefix "Der" or "Ter" in Eastern Armenian , meaning "Lord", to indicate their lineage.

Such a married priest is known as a kahana. This contrasts with the more common celebration of Christmas on 25 December, originally a Western Christian tradition, which Armenia only briefly adopted before reverting to its original practice. Since , the church has mainly used the Gregorian Calendar shared by most civil authorities and Western Christian churches not the traditional Armenian calendar.

The only exception is the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where the old Julian calendar is used, putting Nativity celebrations on 19 January in the Gregorian calendar. When in the s, Abraham-Pierre I Ardzivian, who had earlier become a Catholic, was elected as the patriarch of Sis , he led part of the Armenian Apostolic Church into full communion with the Pope and the Armenian Catholic Church was created. The Armenian Church does not ordain women to the priesthood. Women do serve as altar girls and lay readers, especially when a parish is so small that not enough boys or men are regularly available to serve.

Women commonly serve the church in the choir and at the organ, on parish councils, as volunteers for church events, fundraisers, and Sunday schools, as supporters through Women's Guilds, and as staff members in church offices. In the case of a married priest Der Hayr , the wife of the priest generally plays an active role in the parish and is addressed by the title Yeretzgin. In limited circumstances, the Armenian Church allows for divorce and remarriage. On April 23, , the Armenian Apostolic Church canonized all the victims of the Armenian Genocide ; this service is believed to be the largest canonization service in history.

The status of the Armenian Apostolic Church within the Republic of Armenia is defined in the country's constitution. Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat Etchmiadzin , Armenia, and just outside of Yerevan. According to scholars it was the first cathedral but not the first church built in ancient Armenia, and is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The original church was built in the early fourth century between and according to tradition—by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III.

It replaced a pre-existing temple, symbolizing the conversion from paganism to Christianity. From its foundation until the second half of the fifth century, Etchmiadzin was the seat of the Catholicos, the supreme head of the Armenian Church. Although never losing its significance, the cathedral subsequently suffered centuries of virtual neglect. In it was restored as catholicosate and remains as such to this day. Etchmiadzin was plundered by Shah Abbas I of Persia in , when relics and stones were taken out of the cathedral in an effort to undermine Armenians' attachment to their land.

Since then the cathedral has undergone a number of renovations, with Belfries being added. On our visit the Cathedral was scaffolded and renovations were on going both in and outside. We saw a number of Artefacts inside and even a piece of Noah's ark that was found at the top of Mt Arara. I'm not convinced but respect the religious views and thought of others. The whole complex is quite large, with a number of Christian buildings and a shop.

The grounds are well kept and the tour staff are informative and helpful. Visited the church and they opened us the underground which seems to be closed to the public upon private demand Even for a non-Armenian this is a spiritual place. One can sense the history and the love that has gone into the decoration of the Cathedral. Our visit was disrupted as the Pope was visiting too, and not surprisingly he had priority! However, the wonderful flowers placed for the Pope made the Cathedral even more beautiful.

The large site contains the cathedral, monastery, new church, museum and administrative church buildings.

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And as most people are referring to the cathedral not the monastery I will do the same. A pity about the scaffolding and crane on the exterior but everywhere must undergo some renovation sometime. There is a beautiful interior with painted upper walls and ceilings leading to the stunning interior of the dome. Echmiadzin is monastery and a seat of supreme leader of Armenian church - Catholicos of All Armenians. In this sense it is very comparable to the Vatican, except Echmiadzin is not a nation-state.

There is a lot of things to do there - upon entry through very nice gates you are welcomed with the alley of Khachkar that leads to the Cathedral. At the time of my visit, cathedral was reconstructed with partial scaffolding erected and people working inside. It is most richly decorated church in Armenia. Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. TripAdvisor uses cookies to improve your site experience.

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