Are Armenians Orthodox? Christianity of Armenia. Armenian Apostolic Church

I'm not a god of honor what theologians.

Rather, I am completely no theologian. But every time I read in the blogosphere about the basics of the Armenian Church, I begin to say the compiler, editor and a little author of the book "Applied Religious Studies for Journalists".

And now, in connection with the Christmas holiday, I decided to disassemble several most common issues related to the Armenian Apostolic Church - AAC.

Is the Armenian Church of the Gregorian?

Does the Armenians adopted Christianity in 301?

Is the AAC Orthodox?

Are all the Armenians of the ACC flour?

The Armenian Church is not Gregoryan

The name "Grigorian" was invented in Russia in the XIX century, when part of Armenia was attached to the Russian Empire. It means that the Armenian Church originates from Gregory of the Enlightener, and not from the apostles.

Why was it to do it?

And then that when the church starts directly from the apostles, it means that its origins go back straight to Christ. The ROC also call himself an apostolic can with a big stretch, because it is known that Orthodoxy came from Byzantium to Russia, and relatively late - in the 10th century.

True, here "to the aid" of the ROC comes the concept of catholicity of the church, that is, its spatial, temporal and high-quality versatility, which parts have to the same extent as the whole, that is, the ROC, being one of the Orthodox churches, also as if Straight to Christ, but we will not be especially delved into theology - I noted justice for the sake of justice.

Thus, making the Armenian Church of the Gregorian, the Russian Empire (where the church was not separated from the state, and therefore the ROC should have had all the advantages), as if deprived her grounds to build himself straight to Christ. Instead of Christ and his pupils, the apostles received Gregory Annivor. Cheap and angry.

Nevertheless, the Armenian Church all this time called himself an apostolic (AAC), was also called and called it all over the world - with the exception of the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, well, 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 doctrine of the Son of God began to spread in Armenia in the first century, of course, our era. It is even called 34 years old, but I met the articles where it was said that it was apparently there was 12-15 years later.

And it was so. When Christ crucified, after which he died, risen and ascended, his students-apostles went to different edges to distribute his teachings. We know that, for example, Peter in their travels got to Rome, where he died, and the famous Vatican temple of St. Moghal was built over his grave. Peter.

And Faddia and Bartholomew - two of the 12 first apostles - went to the northeast, in Syria, from where they reached Armenia, where Christ was successful. Here from them - from the apostles - and the Armenian Church originates. That is why it is called "Apostolic".

Both of them finished their lives in Armenia. Fadda was tortured: it was crucified and pierced by arrows. And it was at the very place where the monastery of St. Faddey, or, in Armenian, Surb Tadei WANK. This is at the current territory of Iran. This monastery is in Iran and every year thousands of pilgrims flock there. The relics of sv. Faddeya is stored in Echmiadzin.

Was tortured and warfolomes. He brought a man-made face of the Virgin to Armenia and built the church dedicated to her. In 68, when he began to persecute Christians, he was executed. Together with him, according to legend, two thousand Christians were executed. The relics of sv. Bartholomew is stored in Baku, since the execution center was the city of Alban or Albanoque, which is identified as modern Baku.

So the beginning to spread Christianity in Armenia in the first century. And in 301, King Trudat proclaimed Christianity, which for about 250 years has been spreading in Armenia, 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 accepted in Armenia as a state religion.

Is the AAC Orthodox?

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

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

No - because according to the Orthodox doctrine, the decrees of the seven universal councils who have passed from 49 to 787 are recognized. As you can see, we are talking about a very long history. AAC recognizes only the first three.

No - because Orthodoxy is a single organizational structure with its auto-reflies, that is, individual, independent churches. 14 carcurrent churches are recognized, there are somewhat not recognized by all, the so-called autonomous churches.

Why are the seven Universal Councils so important? Because each was made to decisions that were important for Christian teachings. For example, at the first Cathedral, the postulate was made about the necessity of compliance with some Jewish rites, a symbol of faith ("Credo") was adopted on the second, and the fifth condemned Nestorianship, and the iconocringence was condemned and divided the reverence of God and worship icons, and so on.

The Armenian Church adopted the resolution of the first three cathedrals. The fourth Ecumenical Cathedral, which is called Halkidon, was held in 451. If you are familiar with the history of Armenia, then immediately remember that this year is known for the famous Avaraisk battle, where Armenian troops under the leadership of Vardan Mamiconian fight against Sassanid Persia for religious and state independence.

And since the clergy played a crucial role during an uprising ending with Avarai battle, as well as after him, then the Churchings had no time and desire to send a delegation to the Universal Cathedral.

And then there was a problem, because the Cathedral adopted the most important decision on the essence of Christ. And the question was, Christ - God, or a person? If he was born from God, then, probably, he himself is also God. But he was born from the earthly woman, therefore, should be a man.

One theologian - Nestruima from the city of Caesarea (Syria) - argued that Christ - and God, and a man. These two entities get along in one body due to the fact that it exists in two horseshoes, which are located in the Union and together create "face of unity".

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

The Chalkidon Cathedral found a kind of middle line, condemning and "rulcelonist" line of Nestor, and "left-competitive" - \u200b\u200bEvuty.

The decisions of this cathedral did not take six churches: Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Malankar Orthodox (in India). They were called "Ancient Oriental Christian Churches", or "Ancient Orthodox Churches".

So for this parameter, the AAC is the Orthodox Church.

All Armenians by definition are a flock of AAC, as well as all Jews are Jews.

This is also a delusion. Of course, AAC is the largest and most influential church with two Catholic acids in Echmiadzin and Lebanese Antelias. But she is not the only one.

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

The most famous Congregation of Armenian Catholics - Mkhitarovskaya with the famous monastery on the island of St. Lazarus in Venice. The churches and monasteries of Armenian Catholics exist throughout Europe, including in Rome and Vienna (ah, what a liquor is preparing the Viennese Mkutarists ...).

In 1850, Pope Pipe IX established the Armenian Catholic Diocese. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the diocese broke down, leaving a flock on the care of the bishop staying in Tiraspol. Yes, Moldavian and Romanian Armenians, as well as Ukrainian, was also Catholics.

The Vatican even established an ordinal for Armenian Catholics in Gyumri. In the north of Armenia, Catholics are called "Frang".

There are Armenian Protestants.

The Evangelical Armenian Church was established in Constantinople in the middle of the XIX century and now has parishes in various countries, uniting in three Evangelical unions - the Middle East with the 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 the Armenian Protestants call "YNGLYZ", but I did not hear this.

Finally, there are Armenians-Muslims. In Istanbul, a major scientific conference dedicated to the Armenians, who adopted Muslim, was recently held in Istanbul under the patronage of the Dink Foundation.

This question regularly rises then there, then Sym on the network, often this question is asked me. I have already repeatedly gave answers to such questions, but questions are still repeated, because the previous answers "go deep into". Therefore, you need to repeat and me. This post is specifically dedicated to this discussion - http://spectat.livejournal.com/380030.html, because the owner of the blog asked me to speak out.
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So, in order to answer the question of who Orthodox, and who is not, you need to find out - and what is this, this is the most orthodoxiness? And what does it mean if you are not Orthodox? Let's start as in the first class lay words on the shelves.

Right-Slavie (Greek Ortho-Diaxia; Arm. Uhhha-Sidietun), i.e. Right, correct, direct glorification, means that the Orthodox correctly glorify God. That is? Do not Orthodox do not correctly glorify God. That is why Orthodoxy is opposed to any other as heresy. Those., the one who is not Orthodox, that heretic . This is the main answer to the question "Are Armenians Orthodox?".

Who will consider himself to consider heretic? Who remaining in his religion will assume that someone's religion (or her subspecies) is more correct? Naturally, if Armenians consider their faith to be the right one, they do not just consider themselves Orthodox (Arm. Uchchapar), but it is exactly considered Orthodox. Accordingly, those who believe that they will be considered not Orthodox.

The question remains - who decides how it is correct? Is it solves Pope? Or Uncle Crimean? Is it solves the Turkish Sultan? Or Vladimir Wolfovich Zhirinovsky? If every religion or her subspecies considers himself right, then she is still there who thinks about her. So what do network hysteries fool, when they begin to scream on the uninosty of Armenians? And they fool over one simple reason - because of the absence of brains.

Religious truth is the concept exclusively subjective, and therefore, how many heads, so much and "truths". And nothing surprising is not that the believer of the ROC (as well as the believing of any other Greek-Byzantine Church) consider his faith correctly considers Orthodox. Who can forbid him to believe it? Nobody can. He can't nobody to ban and to believe in the wrong army.

But it is quite another thing if this most believer ROC comes to Armenina, and will begin to be clever, such as Orthodox, and there are no Armenians. By this, he will simply put himself an idiot. However, such people stupid in their confessional misunderstanding. After all, the Greek-Byzantine Church Tradition itself was monopolized by the Brand "Orthodoxy" and now local neophytes will scold "Orthodox" by default. For them, Orthodox is not the one who the right is famous for God, but simply anyone consisting of the Greek-Byzantine denomination.

But this is not the biggest joke. Okay, when someone from Christians consider itself Orthodox does not consider Orthodox others. It is natural. But there are those inadequate, which or being inner-peckers or atheists, are beginning to talk about the non-lawn of Armenians. In the original post, on which, actually, is given the answer, there are comments by Turko Muslims, which, under the zombie encoding of Aliyevian propagandists, squeezed on the reasons "yes what Armenians are Orthodox!".

No, well, Turco-Kuro Muslim is the chief specialist in Orthodoxy in Christianity. Who is an Orthodox Christian, and who is not, probably decide in Azeragitprope ...)))))) However, since the staff of the azeragitprop do not differ in any knowledge, then the criteria of Orthodox they take from the KNC key literature. Here in the ROC they say that Armenians are not Orthodox, and monophysites, then the aliens repeat it as green wavy parrots.

Chief Specialist in Orthodoxy in Christianity: " Armenians are not Christian at all. Armenian church political organization with a fascist bias. Everything is already very badly launched there, so there are Armenians who voluntarily accept Islam".

But what are we all about abnormal?! Let's go back to the essence of the topic.

So, who wants to understand whether someone is Orthodox, you need to realize that there are two understanding of this issue:

1. Orthodoxy is a stay in true faith

2. Orthodoxy is a confessional self-confession.

And if about the first I said that it was a subjective thing, like everything in religion, then the second and empty sound. You can talk at least a pot, the essence of the matter does not change. There is no monopolies on self-supply. Just as the local churches of the Greek-Byzantine Chalkidonite tradition in their self-confidence contain the word "Orthodox", this word is available in self-tanning and ancient Dashalkidon churches. As the Bulgarian Church is referred to as Orthodox and the Coptic Church is referred to as Orthodox.

Some exceptions among the Dachalkidon churches are the Armenian Church, which officially prefers to be called apostolic, but it does not cease to be Orthodox. Apparently there are historical reasons for the fact that in the official self-espower of the AAC there is no one word. And maybe this is a normal, sound representation of the fact that the true one for the public is simply not modest, and that which right believed, and who is not, then to solve God on a terrible court.

However, there is also that nuance that many people are asking for the "Orthodox whether Armenians?", Are less interested in the right glorification of God or self-discharges, but they simply want to understand whether the Armenian Apostolic Church refers to the very church tradition to which The Russian church belongs and that the Russians are heard as Orthodoxy. Here, of course, the answer is negative. If under the "Orthodoxy" to understand the Greek-Byzantine denomination, then Armenians, like the other anthephegic peoples of the ancient Christian East, do not belong to this denomination.

Neither Armenians nor other nations of the East standing at the origins of the Christianity himself are not in the Greek-Byzantine denomination, not because they are so incorrect and do not like the right Greek faith. They do not belong to the Greek denomination because, unlike the Russian and other peoples of the second echelon of Christianization, they took faith not from the Greeks, but directly from the apostles themselves. As the same Greeks. As well as the Greeks with Latinians created their special church traditions, with their original rites and theological schools, their original church traditions in rite and theology were created by Armenians, and Syrians with the Egyptians.

Those. In addition, it is necessary to understand that, unlike the Russians, the Armenians did not undertake to accept from the Greeks all that they were invented, as well as the Greeks did not undertake something to adopt from the Armenians. But the Russians accepting faith from the Greeks are obliged to believe in the way Greek prescribed, and it is this dedication to all Greek who makes the former "Byzantines" a single confession. And while the Russian church officially does not reincarnate from the Greco-Byzantine Meld-covered mold of the Greco-Byzantine lies about "monophysites" and otherwise, it will still disinform their own believers and generate in the heads in the heads of any questions about Orthodoxy Armenians.

However, the zombie adepts of Aliyevian propaganda will be very upset, if you take such a rattle of them ...

The Armenian Church is considered one of the most ancient Christian communities. Its origins begin in the 4th century. It is Armenia that is the first country where Christianity was recognized as a state. But the millennium went, and now those contradictions and differences that have the Russian and Armenian Apostolic Church are already visible. The difference from the Orthodox Church began to manifest itself in the 6th century.

The branch of the Apostolic Armenian Church occurred under the following circumstances. In Christianity, an unexpectedly arose a new branch, which was attributed to heretics, - Monophizite. Supporters of this flow considered Jesus Christ. They denied the combination of Divine and Human. But on the 4th Chalkidon Cathedral, the monophimitis was recognized as a false flow. Since then, the apostolic Armenian church was alone, as it still looks at the origin of Christ not as ordinary Orthodox Christians.

Main differences

The Russian Orthodox Church refers to the Armenian Apostolic, but does not allow many of its aspects.

The Russian Orthodox Church considers Armenian confession, so people of this faith can not be buried on the Orthodox customs, to make all the sacraments that holds Russian Christian Orthodoxy, it is impossible to just remember and pray for them. If suddenly an Orthodox person will visit the service in the Armenian Apostolic Temple - this is a reason for its excommunication.

Some Armenians attend temples in turn. Today, the apostolic Armenian, the other day of Christian. This can not be done, you should decide on your faith and stick to only one exercise.

Despite the contradictions, the Armenian Church forms faith and cohesion in their students, with patience and reverence refers to other religious flows. These aspects have the Armenian Apostolic Church. The difference from the Orthodox it is visible and tangible. But every person himself has the right to choose who he prayed for and what faith to stick to.

Parishioners of the Armenian "Church"

Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church "(aging) (here and hereinafter - the author's allocation, - note. ed.) - one of the communities, calling himself Christian. But let's figure it out, whether it really carries this name.

Often you have to hear that Armenians were the first to take faith to Christ at the state level. But how did it happen? Despite the adoption of true creed from the Jerusalem and Byzantine Churches, Agac did not remain his confessor. In addition, in the same period in the Roman Empire, fully legalized christianity of the Edictic were published. Therefore, aging has no reason for excellence.

For many centuries, there are no church unity between representatives of this "church" and Orthodox Christians. This does not exclude good-neighborly relations, however, the split and heresy of the agazas are opposed to the principle of saving unity faith Transferred to us by the apostles, and the instructions of the Word of God: One God, one faith, one baptism (Ephesus. 4, 5). From the IV century, the agard separated from all the completeness of the oldest Orthodox local churches (Konstantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and so on.), Accepting - first at a misunderstanding, and then consciously - monophimitskaya, monophietic and miaphizite heresy. This disease is not mistaken to this day: we cannot pray and pass together with the members of the agar - While it will not be restored to the true doctrine of God.

Unfortunately, the hostages of this misfortune - heresy and split - are simple Armenians, often far from the subtleties of theology. They should be aware that it is impossible to be Orthodox, and ranked in the Armenian Church, as it is impossible to simultaneously be saved and the dead, truthful and liar. It is necessary to make a choice between life and death, truth and lies.

About the monophimite heresy in general and delusions of the Armenian "Church" in particular

A) heresy monophysit

Before talking about the Armenian direction of the Monophizite, we will tell about what the heresy is and how it originated.

Monophizite - This is the wrong doctrine of Christ, the essence of which is that only the Lord is recognized only one nature And not two, as the Word of God and the Orthodox Church teach.

Orthodox Church professes in Christ one person (IPOST) and two nature - Divine and human, Stayed in little, inseparally, inseparally, invariably. Monophysites (including and aging) In Christ, admit one person, one hyposta and one nature. As a result, they reject the universal cathedrals, starting on the fourth (and in all of them, as you know, were seven).

B) False aging aging

For this reason, members of the aging are not accepted, insult and consider the heretics of many Orthodox saints. Monophizite is not only a complete denial of the real human flesh in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, but also anyone, even the slightest shift or skew from the human nature of Christ in the direction of his deity. Aging, after many of the oscillations, bowed to the heresy of monophimitis, which they are not denied the fact of the award, but in persistent insistence on the absorption of the deity of Christ of His human nature is that there is a hula for the Lord and the heretical teaching. For this reason, neither the symbol of the Armenian faith, in which the award of the aversion, nor the approval of the individual Armenian "theologians" about the presence of the flesh of Christ, do not have any importance.

It is noteworthy that there is no officially approved in the agard, at least a compressed statement of the basics of creed. It uses three Symbols of Faith: 1) a brief, consumed of the announcement; 2) Middle - in the rank of "Divine Liturgy" and 3) a lengthy, readable "priest" at the beginning of the morning "worship". Phrase from the third lengthy symbol "One person is one, and connected in a single nature" It is quite augetted, and every lie and heresy - from the devil, and accepting it for Christians is unacceptable, especially in religious issues. This heresy leads to a lie about the Godhead of Christ, to the thoughts about the inability to imitate him - after all, he allegedly god to the greatest extent, and humanity is absorbed in it. That is, the humiliation of the human nature of the Savior for believers is destroyed and motivation to Christ.

One misconception naturally led to others. So, AGAC finally recognized the iconization only in the XII century; With the "sacredness", Armenians to this day are used by the usual custom of the desalination and make sacrifices of animals (etc. Matah). In addition, they use cheese-dairy food on Saturday and Sunday during posts. And from 965, the agar began to "cross" people passing into it from Orthodoxy.

The main disagreements of the Armenian "Church" with Orthodoxy are as follows:

In aging recognize the body of Christ not a one-way human flesh, but "Intense and disseminated, and essential, I. unprecedented and heaven who committed everything that is typical of the body is not really, but in imagination ";

Agac considers that in the act of incarnation the body of Christ "It turned into a deity and became unique to him, disappearing in the Divine, like a drop in the sea, so that after that there are already two natural things in Christ, but one, entirely divine." It professes two natural things in Christ before the embodiment, and after - a single complex, in which both are allegedly connected - divine and human.

In addition, monophimitism is almost always accompanied by the Monoenetite and mono-energy heniemi, i.e. the teachings that only one will and one action in Christ, one source of activity, which is a deity, and humanity is only his passive gun. It is also dishonest hula in the Bogoilian of Jesus Christ.

C) the differences between the Armenian monophysitism from his other varieties

The creed of aging has its own characteristics, differences from the doctrines of other monophimite "churches".

Currently, three directions of monophysitism can be distinguished:

1) Syroyakovitis, Copts and Malabars of Sevirian tradition;

2) aging (Echmiadzin and Kilician Catholicats);

3) Ethiopian and Eritrean "Church".

The agard differs from the rest of the monophysites-non -alkidontians by the fact that one of the Monophizite Yersiirkhov Sevir Antioch was anathematized by Armenians in the IV century as not enough successive monophysit. Significant influence on the "theology" of Agac also helped in antharodochetism (the heretical doctrine of the netualness of the body of Jesus Christ from the moment of incarnation).

Unfortunately, the interest in the history of Armenian Christological thought today is mainly people who deliberately passed from the aging in Orthodoxy - and both in Armenia itself and in Russia.

D) Is the theological dialogue with AGAT possible?

The theological dialogue of the Orthodox Church with Agaz today is seemingly demonctive, since its representatives no interest to dogmatic issues and Considered to discuss only social ministry issues, pastoral practices, various problems of public and church life. Sadly, but the fact: Agatz put himself outside the Church of Christ, turning into a self-insulated and one-demonstrable "church", having communication in faith only with other heretical monophyzite falciers.

Help on Christianity in Armenia

A) historical information

In 354, the first Cathedral of the Armenian Church, condemned Arianism and confirmed by Orthodoxy's commitment. In 366, the Church of Armenia, who was before the canonical dependence on the Kaesarian Department of Byzantium, received auto-reflios (independence).

In 387, the Great Armenia turned out to be divided, and its eastern part in 428 was attached to Persia, and Western - became the province of Byzantium. In 406, Mesrop Mashotots created the Armenian alphabet, which made it possible to translate to the national language, the Holy Scripture and the Creation of the Fathers of the Church.

Representatives of the Armenian Church were present at the first and second universal councils; They also received the decisions of the third. But now the fourth universal cathedral, held in 451 in Chalkidon, was held without the participation of Armenian bishops, and for this reason they were not exactly known for the ruling of this cathedral. Meanwhile, monophysites who spread their delusions arrived in Armenia. True, the ruling of the Cathedral soon appeared in the Armenian Church, but, by ignorance, the exact meaning of the Greek theological terms, the Armenian teachers fell into an unintentional mistake. As a result, the Armenian Cathedral in Devin in 527 decided to recognize in Christ one nature and thus unequivocally put the aging among the monophysites. Orthodox faith was officially rejected and convicted. So the Armenian "Church" disappeared from Orthodoxy. However, a significant number of Armenians remained in communicating with the Universal Church, going to the submission of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

In 591, as a result of the attack of Persians, Armenia was divided. Most of the country entered the Byzantine Empire, and in the city of Avan (which was located northeast, Yerevan, and now it became part of it) was formed orthodox Catholicosat.

He was opposed catholicosat Monophimitsky, Located in Deauzin, in the Persian territory, and the Persians were artificially supported, fearing the reunion of local Armenians with the Byzantine Orthodox Armenians (however, a lot of Orthodox Armenians also lived in the Persian territory).

During the Byzantine-Persian war of 602-609, the Orthodox Catholicosat was abolished by the invaders of Persians. Monophimitsky Catholicos Abraham initiated the persecution of Orthodox, Forcing all clerics or betray anathema Chalkidon Cathedral, or leave the country.

However, repression unable to eradicate the Orthodox faith among Armenians. In 630, a Karin Cathedral took place, on which the Armenian Church officially returned to Orthodoxy. But after the Arab conquest of 726 aging again disappeared from the Universal Church to Monophizite. Orthodox Armenians again began to move into the territory of Byzantium, under the Omophore of the Konstantinople Patriarch. The same who remained in the Armenian districts, border with Georgia, were in the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church. In the 9th century, the Orthodox were the population and princes of the Taron region, as well as the majority of the population of the Tao and Clardehi regions.

The efforts of St. Fothia of the Constantinople and Harran Bishop of Theodore Abu Kurra at Prince Aschote I in 862 on the Chiracavan Cathedral of the Church of Armenia returned again in Orthodoxy, However, after 30 years, by decision of the new Catholicos, Ovanness V once again, the monophimitis was abandoned.

In the XI century in Armenia the number of departments consisting in communicating with Constantinople increases, in this period Orthodoxy began to prevail among the Armenians. After the invasion of the Seljuk Turkings in the second half of the XI century, Orthodox Armenians were in the jurisdiction of the Georgian Patriarch, and after a half a century, their bishops are already referred to and perceived as Georgian.

The last attempt to return the Armenian "church" to Orthodoxy was undertaken in 1178. On the Emperor, the hierarchs recognized the Orthodox confession of faith, but the death of the emperor prevented their reunion with the Church of Christ.

In 1198, the union of papal crusaders with the Armenian king of Kilicia led to the conclusion of UNIs between the heretical Roman Catholic and Armenian "churches". This study, which was not accepted by Armenians outside Kilicia, ended with the split of the Armenian "Church", as a result of which "Armenian Catholic Church" arose. But the main part of Armenians living in Armenia still belongs to the aging.

B) the reason for evading aging in heresy

Saint of Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), which was biscarding in the Caucasus, perfectly knew the situation in the Armenian "Church" and the views of Armenians, putting to Orthodoxy. He, with great regret and sorrow, said that the agard is largely close to the Orthodox Church, but does not want to abandon the heresity of monophimitis. The reason for this is one - the wrong confession is incredibly surpassed over the centuries and because of the one-demonstration of the Armenian "Church" pride. The latter brought to the aging conviction in the national exclusivity of its members, the opposite of Evangelical teaching. The falsity of this proud worldview in Scripture says: There is neither Ellin, nor the Judea, nor circumcision, no absence, barbarian, skif, slave, free, but all in all of Christ (Count. 3, 11).

Universal teacher and St. John Zlatoust testifies: "Make separation in the church - no less evil than to fall into heresy<…>. The sin of the split is not washed away with even martyrs. " Therefore, we are waiting for the return of our Armenian brothers from the sin of heresy and split In the Unity of Faith (see: Eph. 4, 5).

Conclusion

So, aging refers to communities that are not in unity with the Orthodox Church. After the fourth Ecumenical Cathedral, due to the rejection of the church truth that in a single hat, in a single person of the embodied son of God, two nature was unplaged - the Divine and Human, it was among those liaserkways, which are called monophimitas. The once existed part of the Unified Ecumenical Church, the Agatz took the false coercion of monophysites, recognizing the word embodied God by only one nature - the Divine. And although we can say that now the sharpness of the theological disputes 5-6 centuries largely moved into the past and that the modern "theology" of the Armenian "church" is far from the extremes of monophysitism, but, nevertheless, there is no unity in faith between us.

Thus, the fathers of the Fourth Chalkidon Universal Cathedral, condemned the heresy of monophizite, for us, Orthodox believers, - the holy worship of God and Teachers of the Church, and for representatives of the aging and other "Ancient Churches" - individuals or anathematized (most often), or, at the extreme Extent that do not have religious authority. And on the contrary, Yereziarch diosk for us is a blasphemy, and for Armenians - "Father in the Holy Father". Even from the specified example, it is already clear how traditions the family of local Orthodox churches will be transformed, and what - Litecers, called "Ancient Defense". Yes, between these "non-Chalkidon churches" there are quite significant differences, and the measure of monophimite influence on their dogmatics of Nonodynakov (it is much stronger in the Coptic "churches" and almost incapacitated in aging). However, the historical, canonical and challenge remains that over the age of one and a half years there is no equal communication between us. And if we recognize the church as a pillar and the approval of truth, if we believe that the promise of Christ the Savior about the fact that she does not overcome the gates of hell, it is not believable, but an absolute value, then it is necessary to conclude that either one church is true, and the other - Heretical, or vice versa, and think about the consequences of this output. The only thing that cannot be allowed is attempts to approve the truth at the same time and the Orthodox Church, and the aging, arguing that although the teachings are not identical, but in fact they allegedly coincide and the reason for a semi-thirdly fellow separation consists as it were only in human cosmia, political ambitions and reluctance to unite.

In conclusion, we note that the Armenians living or temporarily staying in Russia cannot be accepted alternately in the "churches" of aging, then in Orthodox churches. They need to carefully explore the versalial positions of the aging and the Orthodox Church and make their choice.

Jeromona Dimitri,
socialist Monastery Holy Cross Desert (Sochi)

Currently, on the canonical device of the United Armenian Apostolic Church, there are two Catholicosat - the Catholicosat of all Armenians, with the center in Echmiadzin (ARMS. Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին / First Holy Echmiadzin) and Cilician (ARMS. Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ Կաթողիկոսություն / Catholicosat of the Great House of Kilicia), with the center (since 1930) in Anti-Lias, Lebanon. With the administrative independence of the Cilician Catholicos, the honor championship belongs to the Catholicos of all Armenians, which has the title of the Supreme Patriarch of AAC.

In the conduct of the Catholicos of all Armenians consist of all dioceses within Armenia, as well as most foreign dioceses worldwide, in particular in Russia, in Ukraine and in other countries of the former USSR. Under the control of Cilician Catholicos are the dioceses of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus.

There are also two autonomous patriarchates AAC - Constantinople and Jerusalem, canonically obeying the Catholicos of all Armenians. Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople have a spiritual degree of archbishop. The Armenian Church of Israel and Jordan, and the Patriarchate of Konstantinople, the Armenian Church of Turkey and the island of Crete (Greece) are under the jurisale patriarchate.

Church organization in Russia

• Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese Rostov Vicariate AAC Western Vicar AAC

• Diocese of the South of Russia AAC North Caucasian Vicariate AAC

Spiritual degrees in AAC

Unlike Greek three-part (bishop, priest, deacon) system of spiritual degrees of the hierarchy, there are five spiritual degrees in the Armenian church.

1. Catholicos. / Biscupportar / (It has absolute powers to commit the sacraments, including the charifion of all spiritual degrees of the hierarchy, including bishops and Catholicos. The ordination and the world-formation of the bishops are committed in serving two bishops. The world-formation of the Catholicos is performed in serving twelve bishops).
2. Bishop, Archbishop (differs from Catholicos to some limited powers. The bishop can handuspit and minor to the priests, but usually cannot independently handic the bishops, but only serve the Catholicos in the Episcopian Chirotonia. When election of a new Catholicos, twelve bishops are reducing it, eating it into a spiritual degree).
3. a priest, Archimandrite (Makes all the sacraments except Charotonia).
4. Diacon (Sens in the sacraments).
5. Dpire (lower spiritual degree obtained in the Episcopian ordination. Unlike the Diacon, it does not read the gospel on the liturgy and does not bring the liturgical bowl).

Dogmatic

Christology

The Armenian Apostolic Church refers to the group of ancient churches. In the IV, the Universal Cathedral did not participate in objective reasons and regulations, as all ancient churches did not accept. In his dogmatics, it is based on the resolutions of the three universal councils and adheres to the Dahlkidon Christology of St. Cyril Alexandrian, who confessed the word of the embodied (Miafizitness) of God. The theological critics of AAC argue that her Christology should be interpreted as the Monophimitskaya that the Armenian Church rejects, anathematizing and monophimitis, and dofismitism.

Icon

Among the critics of the Armenian church there is an opinion that in the early period it has been characterized by an iconocobalism. This opinion could arise due to the fact that in general there are few icons in Armenian temples and no iconostasis, but this is only a consequence of the local ancient tradition, historical conditions and general asceticism of the decoration (that is, from the point of view of the Byzantine tradition of iconing, when icons are covered with everything The walls of the temple, it can be perceived as the "absence" of icons or even "iconocringence"). On the other hand, such an opinion could be due to the fact that the believers of Armenians usually do not keep the home icons. In the home prayer, a cross was used more often. This is due to the fact that the icon in the JAC should be necessarily consecrated by the Holy Miro bishop hand, and therefore it is rather a temple shrine than an indispensable attribute of home prayer.

According to the critics of "Armenian iconocruppiness", the main reasons that caused its appearance, the dominion in the VIII-IX centuries in Armenia Muslims, whose religion prohibits images of people, "Monophizite," not involving in Christ the human essence, and to be, and objects of the image As well as identifying the iconation with the Byzantine Church, with which the Armenian Apostolic Church had substantial disagreements since the time of the Chalkidon Cathedral. Well, since the presence of an icon in Armenian temples testifies to the assertion of the iconocrust in the ACC, it became the belief that, since the XI century, the Armenian Church converges in matters of icon-repository (although Armenia and the following centuries were under the authority of Muslims, and many The dioceses of the AAC and today are in Muslim territories, despite the fact that changes in Christology have never been and attitude towards the Byzantine tradition is the same as in the first millennium).

The Armenian Apostolic Church itself declares its negative attitude towards the iconocrust and condemns it, since he has its own history of combating this heresy. Even at the end of the 6th early VII centuries (that is, more than a century before the emergence of iconocrust in Byzantium, the VIII-IX centuries) in Armenia appeared preachers of iconocrust. The Dvinsky Priest Hesu with several other spiritual persons proceeded in the area of \u200b\u200bSod and Gardmank, where they preached the rejection and destruction of the icons. The Armenian Church in the face of Catholicos Movses, theologians Vrtesnes Kertoha and Ovan Mauragometsi acted against them. But the struggle with the iconoborets was not limited to theology only. The iconoclands were persecuted and captured by the Gardmansky Prince, went to the court of the Church in Dvin. Thus, intracererical iconocringence was quickly suppressed, but found the soil in the sectarian folk movements of the mid-VII century. And began the VIII century, with which the Armenian and Alvan Church was struggled.

Calendar ritual features

Wardapet's Staff (Archimandrite), Armenia, 1st quarter of the 19th century

Mata

One of the ritual features of the Armenian Apostolic Church is mats (literally "bring salt") or a charity meal, some mistakenly perceived as an animal sacrifice. The main meaning of Mataha is not in the sacrifice, but in bringing the gift to God in the form of a presence of the poor. That is, if it can be called a sacrifice, then only in the sense of donation. It is a victim of mercy, not a blood sacrifice similar to the Old Testament or pagan.

The tradition of Matakh is erected by the words of the Lord:

Mathas in the Armenian Apostolic Church takes place in different reasons, more often than gratitude to God for mercy or asking for help. Most often, mats are performed as a promise for a prosperous outcome of something, such as the return from the army of the son or recovery from the serious disease of the family member, and is also going on as a petition for rest. However, mats are customary to do and in the form of a public meal of members of the arrival during the period of large church holidays or in connection with the consecration of the Church.

Participation in the clergy rig is limited solely by the consecration of salt, from which mats are prepared. An animal to bring into church is prohibited, and therefore it cuts the donor to the house. For Mataha, there are bulls, a ram or a poultry (which is perceived as a sacrifice). Meat is cooked in water with the addition of consecrated salt. He is distributed to the poor or arrange to the meal at home, and the meat should not stay the next day. So the bull meat is distributed in 40 houses, the ram - in 7 houses, a rooster - at 3 houses. Traditional and symbolic mats, when the pigeon is used - it is released on the will.

Advanced post

The advanced post inherent exclusively by the Armenian Church comes 3 weeks before the Great Post. The origin of the post is associated with the post of St. Gregory of the enlightener, after which he healed the patient of the king Trudat the Great.

Trisomments

In the Armenian Church, as in other Ancient Orthodox Orthodox Churches, in contrast to the Orthodox churches of the Greek tradition, the triysky song will be not a divine Trinity, but one of the attainances of the Triune God. It is more often perceived as a Christological formula. Therefore, after the words "Holy God, Saint Strong, Holy Immortal", depending on the events celebrated on the liturgy, it is added, indicating that or another biblical event.

So in Sunday Liturgy and Easter is added: "... that risen from the dead, nice us."

In the unknown liturgy and on the holidays of the Holy Cross: "... what crucified for us, ...".

In the Annunciation or Epiphany (Christmas and Brewery of the Lord): "... What came for us, ...".

In the Ascension of Christ: "... What ascended in the glory to the Father, ...".

In Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit): "... What came and soiling on the apostles, ...".

Other…

Communion

Bread In the Armenian Apostolic Church, when making the Eucharist by tradition, freshly used. The choice of eucharistic bread (fresh or kaase) does not attach dogmatic value.

Wine When making the sacrament of the Eucharist, a solid, not diluted with water is used.

The sanctified Eucharist Bread (body) is immersed by the priest in a bowl of consecrated wine (blood) and, refracted by the fingers on the part, is served by communion.

Cross sign

In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Cross sign is three-axis (similar to Greek) and is performed from left to right (like Latinang). Other variants of the godmonds practiced in other churches, the AAC does not consider "wrong", but perceives as a naturally local tradition.

Calendar Features

The Armenian Apostolic Church as a whole lives at the Gregorian calendar, but communities in the diaspora, on the territory of the churches using the Julian calendar, on the blessing of the bishop can live in the Julian calendar. That is, the calendar does not attach the "dogmatic" status. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, according to the status quo, adopted between Christian churches, having the rights to the grade of the Lord, lives in the Julian calendar, as well as the Greek Patriarchy.

An important prerequisite for the spread of Christianity was the existence of Jewish colonies in Armenia. As you know, the first preachers of Christianity usually started their activities in those places where the Jewish communities were. Jewish communities existed in the main cities of Armenia: Tigranakert, Artaste, Vagarshapat, Zareavan, and others. Turrtullian in the book "Against the Jews", written in 197, a story about the peoples who adopted Christianity: Parfians, Lidians, Frigians, Cappadocytes, - mentions Armenians. This certificate confirms the Blessed Augustine in his essay "against Manicheev."

At the end of the II - the beginning of the III centuries, Christians in Armenia pursued Tsari Vagars II (186-196), Hosras I (196-216) and their successors. These persecutions were described by the Bishop of Cappadocyan Caesarea Firmylian (230-268) in his book "History of the History of the Church." Eusevia Caesarian mentions a letter to Dionysius, Bishop Alexandria, "On repentance to brothers in Armenia, where the bishop was Meruzhan" (VI, 46. 2). The letter dates back to 251-255. It proves that in the middle of the 3th century, the Christian community recognized in Armenia existed in Armenia.

Adoption of Christianity Armenia

The traditional historical date of the proclamation of Christianity as the "state and only religion of Armenia" is considered to be 301. According to S. Ter-Nersesyan, this happened not earlier than 314 years, between 314 and 325, but this does not cancel the fact that Armenia was the first to adopted Christianity at the state level a paramount role in this important event for Armenians played by St. Gregory, the enlightener, which became The first First Hierarch of the State Armenian Church (-), and the King of the Great Armenia of St. Trejat III Great (-), which before his appeal was the most severe persecute of Christianity.

According to the writings of Armenian historians of the V century, in 287 trudat arrived in Armenia accompanied by Roman legions to return the father's throne. In the estate of Erise, Havar Ekhetz, when making the king of the rite of sacrifice in the head of the pagan goddess Anait, Grigory, one of the associates of the king, as a Christian refuses to bring the sacrifice idol. Then it opens that Grigory is the son of Anaca, the killers of the father of Truck Tsar Hoshrov II. For these "crimes", Gregory concludes in the Artshatsky dungeon, intended for suicide branches. In the same year, the king publishes two decals: in the first of them, Christians are arrested in the first of Armenia with confiscation of their property, and in the second - to betray the death penalty of the coarse Christians. These decrees show how dangerous Christianity was considered for the state.

Church of Saint Gayane. Vagarshapat.

Church of the Holy RipSime. Vagarshapat.

The adoption of Christianity Armenia is closely associated with the martyrdom of the deaths of the Saints of Dev Ripsimens. According to legend, a group of Christian girls come from Rome, hiding from the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, fled to the east and found shelter not far from the capital of Armenia Vagarshapat. Tsar Trudat, fascinated by the beauty of the Virgin Ripseme, wished to take her to his wife, but met desperate resistance, for which he ordered to betray all the girls of martyrdom. Ripsime with 32 friends died in the northeastern part of Vagarshapat, the mentor of Virgo Gayane, along with two devices - in the southern part of the city, and one patient Virgo was tortured right in Davilne. Only one of the Virgo Nune - managed to run to Georgia, where she continued to preach Christianity and was subsequently glorified by the name of the Equal-Apostles Holy Nino.

The execution of the Val Ripssimenok caused a strong spiritual shock, which led to a severe nervous disease. In the V century, in the people, this disease was called "pork", so the sculptors and depicted truds with pork heads. The sister of Tsar Josrovandukht has repeatedly seen a dream in which she was reported that only Gregory prisoners were healing to the dungeon. Gregory, miraculously survivor, spending 13 years old in the stone pit, was released from imprisonment and solemnly accepted in Vagarshapat. After the 66-day prayer and preaching of Christ, Grigory healed the king, who, having come to faith, declared Christianity of the state of state.

The previous persecution of Tredat led to the actual destruction of the sacred hierarchy in Armenia. To initiate in San Bishop, Grigory, the enlightener solemnly went to Caesara, where he was ordained by Cappadocopy bishops led by Leonthius by Caesarean. Bishop Sevasti Peter made a rite of construction of Gregory in Armenia to the Episcopal throne. The ceremony took place not in the capital of Vagarshapat, and in the distant Ashtishat, where the main Episcopian Department of Armenia has already been founded by the apostles.

Tsar Trudat, together with all the yard and princes, took the baptism from Gregory of the Enlightener and put every effort to revive and spread Christianity in the country, and so that the paganism could never return. Unlike fertilized, where King Abgar (which, in Armenian legend, is considered to be an Armenian), Christianity received the first of the monarchs, making him only a sovereign religion, Christianity has become a state religion in Armenia. 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 waste from paganism, Gregory, the Educator, together with the king, destroyed the pagan sanctuations and, in order to avoid their recovery, built Christian churches in their place. The beginning of this was laid with the construction of the Echmiadzinsky Cathedral. According to legend, the Saint Gregory was a vision: the sky was rejected, a ray of light preceded by the Song of the Angels, and in the beam of the light, Christ had hit the sky and hit the Sandarametk underground as a hammeter, pointing to his destruction and the construction of the Christian Church. The asphalt was destroyed and falling asleep, the temple dedicated to the Most Holy Virgin erected in his place. Thus, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church was founded - St. Echmiadzin, that translated from Armenian means "only begotten".

The newly variable Armenian state was forced to defend their religion from the Roman Empire. Eusevia Caesarian testifies that the emperor Maximine II Daza (-) announced the war to Armenians, "He has long been published by the former friends and allies of Rome, moreover, Christians of zealous, the Bogothet tried to force to sacrifice to idols and demons and did them instead of friends and instead of allies - enemies ... He himself, together with his troops, endured failures in the war with Armenians "(IX. 8,2,4). Maximine attacked Armenia in the last days of his life, in 312/313. For 10 years, Christianity in Armenia let such deep roots, which, for their new faith, Armenians raised weapons against the strong Roman Empire.

In the time of St. The Alvan and Georgian kings adopted Gregory, according to Christianity by the state religion in Georgia and Albania Caucasian. Local churches, whose hierarchy originates from the Armenian Church, maintaining the doctrinal and ritual unity with it, had their Catholicos who recognized the canonical authority of the Armenian First Hierarch. The mission of the Armenian Church was directed to other regions of the Caucasus. So the eldest son of Catholicos Vrtesnes Grigoris went with the preaching of the Gospel to the country of Mazkutov, where he later accepted a martyr's death on the orders of King Sansena Arshakuni in 337.

After long-term hard work (according to legend, Divine Revelation), the Holy Mesf in 405 creates the Armenian alphabet. The first proposal translated into Armenian was "to know the wisdom and instruction, to understand the saying of the mind" (parables 1,1). With the assistance of the Catholicos and King, Mashtots opened in various places of Armenia of the school. In Armenia, the translation and original literature emerges and develop. The translation activity was headed by Catholicos Saak, which first of all translated the Bible from Syrian and Greek to Armenian. At the same time, he sent his best students to famous cultural centers of that time: Edessa, Amid, Alexandria, Athens, Constantinople and other cities for improving in Syrian and Greek languages \u200b\u200band transferring the works of the Church's fathers.

In parallel with the translation activity, the original literature was created by various genres: theological, moral, exegetic, apologetic, historical, etc. The contribution of translators and the creators of Armenian literature of the V century to the national culture is so large that the Armenian church ranked them for the facial saints and every year Solemnly celebrates the memory of the Cathedral of Saints Translators.

Protection of Christianity from the persecution of the Zoroastrian clergy of Iran

Since ancient times, Armenia has been alternately under the political influence of Byzantium, then Persia. Starting from the IV century, when Christianity became a state religion at the beginning of Armenia, and then Byzantia, the sympathies of Armenians appealed to the West, to the Christian neighbor. Well aware of it, the Persian kings from time to time they made attempts to destroy Christianity and violent planting of Zoroastrianism in Armenia. Some Nakarara, especially the owners of border with the Persia of the Southern regions, share the interests of the Persians. Two political trends were formed in Armenia: Visantophilic and Person.

After the Third Ecumenical Cathedral, non-judicial supporters were persistent in the Byzantine Empire and began to translate in Persia and began to translate and distribute the writings of the Diodorus of the Tsirbyskiy and the farodore of the Pepshestia, who were not condemned at the Ephesus Cathedral. Bishop Melitina Akaki and Patriarch Konstantinople Proclus in the epistles warned by Catholicos Saak on the spread of non-traditional.

In the response messages, Catholicos wrote that the preachers of this heresy in Armenia had not yet appeared. In this correspondence, the foundation of Armenian Christology was laid on the basis of the teachings of the Alexandrian school. The letter of St. Saak, addressed to Patriarch, the sample of Orthodoxy was read out in 553 on the Byzantine "Fifth Universal" Constantinople Cathedral.

The author of the life of Mesrop Mashtots Koryun suggests that "in Armenia brought false books, the volatile legends of some Roma named Feodoros appeared in Armenia. Having learned about this, the Saints Saak and Mesrop immediately took measures to condemn the chambers of this heretical teaching and destroy their Scriptures. Of course, the speech here was about the writings of the farodore of the Popssentian.

Armenian-Byzantine church relations in the second half of the XII century

For many centuries, Armenian and Byzantine Churches have repeatedly made attempts to reconcile. For the first time in 654, Nersense III (641-661) and the emperor of Byzantium Consts II (-), then in the VIII century, during the Patriarch of Konstantinople, Germany (-) and the Catholicos of Armenia David I (-), in the 9th century under the Patriarch Konstantinople Foth (-, -) and Catholicos of Zechariah I (-). But the most serious attempt to unite churches took place in the XII century.

In the history of Armenia, the XI century was marked by the migration of the Armenian people in the territory of the eastern provinces of Byzantium. In 1080, the ruler of the mountain kilicia Ruben, a relative of the last king of Armenia Gagika II, joined his own ownership of the flat part of Kilicia and founded the Cilician Armenian Principality in the northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In 1198, this principality became a kingdom and existed until 1375. Together with the royal throne in Kilicia, the Patriarchal Throne of Armenia (-) moved.

Pope wrote a letter to the Armenian Catholicos, which recognized the Orthodoxy of the Armenian Church and for the perfect unity of the two churches offered Armenians to the holy bowl to mix the water and celebrate Christmas on December 25. Innokenti II also sent a bishop for the Armenian Catholicos to Armenian Catholicos. From this time, the Latin rod appeared in everyday life of the Armenian Church, which began to use the bishops, and the East Greco-Cappadocyan rod became the belonging to archimandrite. In 1145, the Catholicos Grigor III asking for political assistance requested to Pope Evgenia III (-), and Grigor IV - to Pope Luce III (-). Instead of help, however, the dads again offered the AAC to mix the water into the holy bowl, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ to celebrate December 25, etc.

King Hetum sent the message of Pope to Catholicos Konstantin and asked to answer him. Catholicos, although it was full of respect for the Roman throne, could not accept the conditions that Dad offered. Therefore, he sent the tsar Hatum a message consisting of 15 points, in which rejected the creed of the Catholic Church and asked the king not to trust the West. The Roman throne, having received such an answer, limited his proposals and written in 1250 the letter proposed to accept only the doctrine of Philobov. To respond to this proposal, Catholicos Constantine convened the III Sis Cathedral in 1251. Without coming to the final decision, the Cathedral turned to the opinion of Churchists of Eastern Armenia. The problem was new for the Armenian Church, and it is natural that various opinions could exist in the initial period. However, no solution was accepted.

At the XVI-XVII century there is a period of the most active confrontation between these powers for the dominant position in the Middle East, including power over the territory of Armenia. Therefore, from that time, the dioceses and communities of the AAC for several centuries were divided into territorial sign on Turkish and Persian. Both of these parts of the Unified Church from the XVI century developed in different conditions, had a different legal status, which affected the structure of the JAC hierarchy and on the relationships of various communities within her.

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, in 1461, Constantinople Patriarchate AAC was formed. The first Armenian patriarch in Istanbul became Archbishop Bursa ovagim, who headed Armenian communities in Malaya Asia. The Patriarch was endowed with broad religious and administrative powers and was the head of (Basi) of a special "Armenian" Millet (Ermen Milleti). In addition to the Armenian itself, all Christian communities who have not included in the territory of the Ottoman Empire "Byzantine" Millet were included in this millet, the Turks were included in this millet. In addition to the believers of other non-Chalkidonian Ancient Orthodox Churches, Maronites, Bogomila and Catholics of the Balkan Peninsula were included in Armenian Millet. Their hierarchy in administratively was subordinated to the Armenian Patriarch in Istanbul.

On the territory of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI century, other historical thrones of AAC - Akhtamarian and Kilician Catholicos and Jerusalem Patriarchate were also found. Despite the fact that Kilicia and Ahtamar's Catholicos were higher than the spiritual degree of Constantinople Patriarch, which was only Archbishop, they were in the administrative plan to be subordinate to him as Armenian Ethnarch in Turkey.

The throne of Catholicos of all Armenians in Echmiadzin was on the territory of Persia, and there was also a subordinate AAC of the throne of Catholicos Albania. Armenians in the territories subordinate to Persia, almost completely lost the right to autonomy, and the AAC here remained the only public institution that could be a nation and influence social life. A certain unity of management in Echmiadzin managed to achieve Catholicos Movses III (-). He strengthened the position of the Church in the Persian State, having achieved from the government to terminate the official abuse and cancellation of taxes for AAC. His successor Pilipos I sought to strengthen the connections of the church dioceses of Persia, who submitted to Echmiadzin, with dioceses in the Ottoman Empire. In 1651, he convened the affiliates of the AAC in Jerusalem, at which all the contradictions caused by the political division were eliminated between the autonomous thrones of the AAC.

However, in the 2nd half of the XVII century, a confrontation between Echmiadzin and centered by Konstantinople patriarchy appeared. Patriarch Constantinople Egyazar, with the support of a high port, was proclaimed by the Supreme Catholicos of the AAC in opposition to the legitimate Catholicos of all Armenians with the throne in Echmiadzin. In 1664 and 1679, Catholicos Akob VI visited Istanbul and held talks with Egyazar about the unity and delimitation of powers. To eliminate the conflict and not destroy the unity of the church, according to their contract after the death of Akob (1680), the Echmiadzin throne took Egyazar. Thus, a single hierarchy and a single supreme throne of the AAC were stored.

The confrontation of the Turkic tribal unions in Armenia, which took place in Armenia and Kara-Koyunlu, and then the war between the Ottoman Empire and Iran led to huge destruction in the country. Catholicosat in Echmiadzin made efforts to preserve the idea of \u200b\u200bnational unity and national culture, improving the church-hierarchical system, but a serious situation in the country forced many Armenians to seek salvation in a foreign land. By this time, Armenian colonies with the relevant church structure had already been in Iran, Syria, Egypt, as well as in Crimea and Western Ukraine. In the XVIII century, the positions of the AAC in Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novy Nakhichevan (Nakhichevan-on-Don), Armavir are strengthened.

Catholic penetration among Armenians

Simultaneously with the strengthening of the economic relations of the Ottoman Empire with Europe in the XVII-XVIII centuries, there was an increase in the propaganda activity of the Roman Catholic Church. The AAC as a whole occupied a sharply negative position in relation to the missionary activity of Rome among Armenians. Nevertheless, in the middle of the XVII century, the most significant Armenian colony in Europe (in Western Ukraine) under powerful political and ideological pressure was forced to take Catholicism. At the beginning of the XVIII century, Armenian bishops of Aleppo and Mardin openly spoke in favor of the transition to Catholicism.

In Constantinople, where the political interests of the East and the West were intersected, European embassies and Catholic missionaries from the orders of Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits launched active prosecutical activities among the Armenian community. As a result of the influence of Catholics among the Armenian clergy in the Ottoman Empire, there was a split: several bishops accepted Catholicism and through the mediation of the French government and papacy separated from AAC. In 1740, with the support of Pope Benedict XIV, they formed the Armenian Catholic Church, which passed into submission to the Roman throne.

At the same time, the association with Catholics played a significant role in the revival of the national culture of Armenians and the spread of European ideas of Renaissance and Enlightenment. From 1512 in Amsterdam (Typography of the monastery of Agopa Megatar), and then in Venice, Marseille and other cities of Western Europe began to be published in Armenian. The first Armenian printed edition of the Holy Scripture was carried out in 1666 in Amsterdam. In Armenia itself, cultural activity was very difficult (the first typography opened here only in 1771), which forced many representatives of the clergy to leave the Middle East and create monastic, scientific and educational associations in Europe.

Mkhitar Sebastatsi, fightered by the activities of Catholic missionaries in Constantinople, in 1712 he founded the monastery on the island of San Ladzaro in Venice. Adapting to local political conditions, the brotherhood of the monastery (matchyarists) recognized the primacy of Pope of Roman; Nevertheless, this community and her branch that arose in Vienna tried to stay away from the propaganda activities of Catholics, engaged exclusively by scientific and educational work, the fruits of which have deserved popular recognition.

In the XVIII century, a great influence among Armenians who collaborated with Catholics acquired the Catholic monastic order of Antonites. Antonitov communities in the Middle East were formed from representatives of the Ancient Churches, which switched to Catholicism, including from AAC. The Order of Armenian Antonites was founded in 1715, and its status was approved by the Pope Clement XIII. By the end of the XVIII century, most of the bishopat of the Armenian Catholic Church belonged to this order.

Simultaneously with the development of a rolling movement on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, ACC created Armenian cultural and educational centers of national orientation. The most famous of them became the school of the monastery of John the Baptist, founded by the clergy and scientist Vardan Bagishzti. The monastery of Armashi acquired greater fame in the Ottoman Empire. Graduates of this school enjoyed great authority in church circles. By the time of the Patriarchate in Konstantinople Zakariya II at the end of the 18th century, the most important area of \u200b\u200bactivity of the Church is the training of the Armenian clergy and the preparation of the necessary personnel for the management of dioceses and monasteries.

AAC after the accession of Eastern Armenia to Russia

Simeon I (1763-1780) first among Armenian Catholicos established official relations with Russia. By the end of the XVIII century, the Armenian communities of the Northern Black Sea region were part of the Russian Empire as a result of the promotion of its borders in the North Caucasus. The dioceses that were in the Persian territory, primarily the Albanian Catholicosat with the center in Gandzasar, launched active activities aimed at joining Armenia to Russia. The Armenian clergy of the Erivans, Nakhichevan and Karabakh Khanni sought to get rid of the power of Persia and tied the salvation of their people with the support of Christian Russia.

Since the beginning of the Russian-Persian war, Tiflis Bishop Nerses Ashtaraktsi contributed to the creation of Armenian volunteer detachments, which made a considerable contribution to the victory of Russian troops in the Transcaucasus. In 1828, in the Turkmancha Treaty, 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 a special "provision" ("Core of the Laws of the Armenian Church"), approved by the emperor Nikolai I in 1836. According to this document, in particular, the Albanian Catholicosat was abolished, the dioceses of which were part of the ACC directly. Compared to other Christian communities in the Russian Empire, the Armenian Church, due to their confessional isolation, occupied a special provision on which some restrictions could not significantly affect - in particular, the Armenian Catholicos should have been handicraft only with the consent of the emperor.

The confessional differences between the AAC in the Empire, where the Orthodoxy of the Byzantine sample dominated, found reflections in the title "Armenian-Gregorian Church" in the title of Russian church officials. It was done in order to not refer to the Armenian Church of the Orthodox. At the same time, the "non-mosquito" AAC flew away from the fate of the Georgian Church, which, being a party to the ROC, was practically eliminated, becoming part of the Russian Church. Despite the stable position of the Armenian Church in Russia, there were serious oppression of AAC by the authorities. In 1885-1886 Armenian parish schools were temporarily closed, and since 1897 - transferred to the department of the Ministry of Education. In 1903, a decree was issued on the nationalization of Armenian church assets, revoked in 1905 after the mass disturbances of the Armenian people.

In the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian church organization in the XIX century also gained a new status. After the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829, thanks to the mediation of European powers, Catholic and Protestant communities were created in Constantinople, they included a significant number of Armenians. Nevertheless, the Armenian Constantinople Patriarch continued to be considered by the high port as the official representative of the entire Armenian population of the Empire. The election of the Patriarch was approved by the Sultanian diploma, and the Turkish authorities strongly sought to put it under their control, using political and social levers. The slightest violation of the limits of competence and disobedience could entail a low-depth.

The sphere of activity of Constantinople Patriarchate AAC was involved increasingly broad layers of society, and the Patriarch gradually acquired a significant impact in the Armenian Church of the Ottoman Empire. No intervention was not solved intracerer, cultural or political issues of the Armenian community. Konstantinople Patriarch was an intermediary during Turkey's contacts with Echmiadzin. According to the National Constitution, developed in 1860-1863 (in the 1880s. Her action was suspended by Sultan Abdul-Khamid II), the spiritual and civilian administration of the entire Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was carried out in the jurisdiction of two tips: the spiritual (out of 14 bishops chaired by the Patriarch) and secular (out of 20 members who configured the meeting of 400 representatives of Armenian communities).