Armenian orthodox church hierarchy pdf

The churches which fall under eastern orthodox are. Accordingly, hierarchy of the catholic church is also used to refer to bishops alone. In fact, armenian church did not participate in the council of chalcedon 451, because in 451 armenia were having one of the important battles of his history, battle of vartanats. Armenian church catholicosate of all armenians headquarters in armenia 2. Hierarchy and laity in the orthodox church john meyendorff on the occasion of protopresbyter nicholas afanasieffs book the ministry of the laity in the church orthodox theological institute, paris 1955, 78 pp translators note. The renewal of the syrian orthodox church in the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries 1 article pdf available in studies in world christianity 153. In our day, the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church is one of the six oriental orthodox churches, and the largest among this group. Care should be taken to respect the discipline of the church to which an individual oriental orthodox student belongs. Pdf the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church in the diaspora. In 662, the armenian bishops accepted the chalcedonian teaching on christs nature, but the catholicos the head of the armenian apostolic church who resides in etchmiadzin turned back to monophysitism. A short introduction to the armenian church in the united.

Among the oriental orthodox church family are the armenian apostolic, coptic, ethiopian, assyrian, and indian malabar. Orthodox family of churches4, while the armenian apostolic church is a strand. The catholicos who are at the zenith, when consecration is done, after accepting the grace of the holy spirit to lead the church, then passes the authority to the bishops who in turn to the priests in the time of. Only the church hierarchy is vested with the authority to determine if a parish is carrying out the faith and purpose of the greek orthodox church, so any property dispute is inherently entwined with ecclesiastical matters.

The norms of the administrative structure of the church go back to the apostolic. The primate of the church has the title of patriarch. According to the ancient tradition well supported by historical evidence, christianity was preached in armenia as early as the second half of the first century by the two disciples of jesus christ, namely, st. Thus, the armenian church has remained in canonical isolation from the eastern orthodox family of churches for over fifteen centuries.

January, 2017 history of christianity through the scope of armenian apostolic church, the armenian orthodox history of christianity will not be fully described, if we dont appreciate the great role of armenian apostolic church, the armenian orthodox. Armenian apostolic orthodox church, with six million members. The kingdom of armenia was the first state to adopt christianity as its official religion under the rule of king tiridates iii in the early 4th. As an autocephalous church, metropolitan theodosius, our primate, does not report to any hierarch abroad.

The eastern orthodox church, like the catholic church, claims to be the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church the term western orthodoxy is sometimes used to denominate what is technically a vicariate within the antiochian orthodox and the russian orthodox churches and thus a part of the eastern orthodox church as that term is defined here. The oriental orthodox churches, which today include the coptic orthodox church, the armenian apostolic church, the syriac orthodox church, the malankara orthodox church of india, the ethiopian orthodox church, and the eritrean orthodox tewahdo church, are referred to as nonchalcedonian, and, sometimes by outsiders as monophysite meaning. The ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church in the diaspora. It is in full communion with other eastern orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The armenian and catholic churches separated after the council of. In the armenian orthodox church, salvation is seen as an openness to receive the grace of god and a willingness to repent without emphasis on ones state of grace. What is the difference between the russian orthodox and. The next level of the armenian church hierarchy is the bishop the head and the spiritual leaderof the churches in a definite politicalgeographical region diocese. Gregory the illuminator, represented the armenian church at the council. It is rich in all the best traditions of the undivided church of the first five centuries. Functional structure the armenian apostolic orthodox church. Vrtanes i the third catholicos of the armenian apostolic church through 333341 ad, sent a letter with specific questions to macarius of jerusalem who was the greek orthodox bishop of jerusalem from 312335, or 336 ad sent to jerusalem by a delegation of armenian priests on the occasion of the encaenia, in dedication of the church of the. Having been founded by the one lord jesus christ, the church has one faith, one liturgy, one hierarchy.

Both the western catholic and eastern orthodox churches organise their spiritual officers into three main categories. The romanian orthodox church biserica ortodoxa romana in romanian is an autocephalous eastern orthodox church. They have the right of ordination and anointing ofpriests and blessing temples. The armenian church is one in herself and one with the. The armenian church 1belongs to the family of the oriental orthodox churches, which has seven members. He is famous for his eloquencechrysostom means golden mouth. Ukraine, georgia and moldova form part of the eastern orthodox 4family of churches, while the armenian apostolic church is a strand of oriental orthodoxy. Armenian catholic church of the armenian tradition.

The armenian catholic church is very small, fewer than a half million members. The armenian apostolic church claims to been in existence since the days of the apostles and therefore would be one of the oldest denominations of christianity. Pdf armenian apostolic church in contemporary times 1991. Vartan being celebrated this week on february 20, the eastern diocese has. It is difficult to render into english the russian term predstoyatel and the greek proistamenos. The ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church eotc has expanded considerably during the last two decades throughout the globe in the midst of turbulence caused by. The necessity of salvation by faith is emphasized, but it is a faith that produces good works and, in the teaching of the armenian orthodox church, it seems that the. Armenian apostolic church hierarchy acolyte stole bearer subdeacon deacon archpriest monk archimandrite supreme archimandrite bishop archbishop patriarch catholicos how to address the clergy the catholicos his holiness catholicos your holiness the patriarch his beatitude patriarch. It was adopted by the ecumenical council of niceae in 325 a. The origin of the armenian church dates back to the apostolic age. Our church strives to fulfill the spiritual needs of its members by providing church and related services in a manner consistent with the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo churchs faith, values, and tradition. Guidelines concerning the pastoral care of oriental. Armenian catholic church wikipedia republished wiki 2. Autocephalous orthodox churches centered at constantinople.

The first armenian orthodox churches in america orthodox. What is the difference between the orthodox and catholic. Celebrating the legacy of five centuries of armenianlanguage book printing. Armenian apostolic church apostolic doctrine and its. Almost the entire egyptian population rejected the terms of the council of chalcedon and remained faithful to the native egyptian church now known as the coptic orthodox church of alexandria. The nicene creed is the main statement of faith in the armenian church. The armenian church a brief introduction dr hratch tchilingirian he church was founded by jesus christ 1. The mission of the orthodox church in america, the local autocephalous orthodox christian church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of christ to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son and of the holy spirit.

The coptic and ethiopian orthodox churches do not allow their faithful to receive sacraments in any church outside the oriental orthodox communion, but the armenian and syrian orthodox do allow it in some circumstances. The metropolitan was a distinguished diplomat, a delegate to the league of nations, served in the albanian parliament and was elected as prime minister of albania in 1924. Ukrainian orthodox church were rejected by the church hierarchy in moscow. The armenian apostolic church is the central religious authority for the armenian orthodox population in the republic of armenia as well as for armenian orthodox communities worldwide it is headed by a catholicos the plural is catholicoi. The oca is not under any of the other autocephalous churches but, rather, is the youngest and 15th autocephalous orthodox church, having received autocephaly from the mother church of north american orthodoxy, which is the russian orthodox church. The functional structure of the armenian church see fig. Even more, as the word asdvadzashoonch implies, the armenian church attaches great importance to the bible and does not view it as just another book. The largest concentration of armenian parishes and people was in massachusetts, followed by michigan, california, and new york. I deeply appreciate the sacredness of the sourp badarak divine liturgy, similar to the roman catholic mass, but a much older liturgymore than 1700 years of tradition th.

John chrysostom hovhan voskeperan, a notable christian bishop and preacher in syria and constantinople. On view in the mardigian library are works from the permanent collections of the armenian research center and from the alex and marie manoogian museum in southfield. Its jurisdiction covers the territory of romania, with dioceses for romanians living in nearby moldova, serbia and. However, the armenian church does not teach that the bible is the ultimate authority or voice of god.

It is characterized by its continuity with the apostolic church, its liturgy, and its territorial churches. Armenian apostolic orthodox church, with six million members worldwide, has experienced a revival since the independence of armenia in 1991. Armenian apostolic church orthodox church in america. The armenian apostolic church is the national church of the armenian people.

The armenian church is one in herself and one with the great church of our lord, since she accepts and keeps the churchs faith, teachings and practices, as once delivered to the saints and as defined by the first three ecumenical councils of nicaea in 325 a. In lebanon the armenian orthodox see article on the term orthodox live in central parts of the country, in iraq they mainly live in baghdad. Currently, the catholicos is his holiness karekin ii, catholicos of all armenians. The armenian church1belongs to the family of the oriental orthodox churches, which has seven members. Part of oriental orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient christian institutions. Bishops are consecrated bythe catholicos of the armenian church. Examining the role of the church in georgia, armenia, ukraine and. The eastern diocese of the armenian church of america celebrated a special prefestal service of prayer and light at new yorks st. Today the armenian church is numbered among the oriental orthodox communities, which include the coptic, ethiopian, and syrian orthodox churches.

Gregory the illuminator converted tiridates iii the king of armenia and members of his court. Gregory the illuminator converted the arsacid king tiridates iii. Those who supported the chalcedonian definition remained in communion with the other leading imperial churches of rome and constantinople. Armenian church catholicosate of cilicia headquarters in lebanon 3. The 1916 census reported 34 armenian parishes and 27,450 members, served by 17 priests. The primary evidence for this assumption is that the church in kartli was subservient to the armenian catholicos and therefore part of the autocephalous armenian church that was firmly miaphysite. John paul ii and his holiness the catholicos of all the armenians, karekin ii, signed a joint declaration in which they affirmed the common. Celebrating the legacy of five centuries of armenianlanguage. Armenian apostolic church, independent oriental orthodox christian church and the national church of armenia according to tradition, armenia was evangelized by the apostles bartholomew and thaddeus. The armenian apostolic church is one of the worlds oldest christian communities and is headquartered in the monastery of holy etchmiadzin. Armenian church believes that the bible is godinspired. The armenian apostolic church is the central religious authority for the armenian orthodox population in the republic of armenia as well as for armenian orthodox communities worldwide. Online bible search greek orthodox archdiocese of america. The greek orthodox archdiocese of america, with its headquarters located in the city of new york, is an eparchy of the ecumenical patriarchate of constantinople, the mission of the archdiocese is to proclaim the gospel of christ, to teach and spread the orthodox christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the church in the united states of america according.

Christianity is one of the oldest and posted in armenian religion, orthodox christianity with. One of the most important aspects of the armenian church administration is its conciliar system. Eastern christians and their churches knights of columbus. The head of the church, the catholicos, has his see at etchmiadzin, armenia.

Although it is traditional in eastern churches for the supreme head of the church to be named patriarch, in the armenian apostolic church. A brief history of the church in armenia bollettino sala stampa. The journey of marriage in the orthodox church all products. Structured view of dioceses of the armenian tradition. Instead, we are a socalled nonchalcedonian, or oriental orthodox church, in communion with the coptic, ethiopian, eritrean, syriac, and indian churches. According to the ancient tradition, which is well supported by historical evidence, christianity was preached in armenia as early as the second half of the first century by the two disciples of jesus christ, namely, st. I am armenian apostolic by choice, having been raised as a roman catholic. Armenian apostolic church simple english wikipedia, the. It is headed by a catholicos the plural is catholicoi. Sec of orthodox bishops orthodox church of america uaoc. Syrian indian orthodox church, and the armenian apostolic churches.

The greek orthodox archdiocese of america, with its headquarters located in the city of new york, is an eparchy of the ecumenical patriarchate of constantinople, the mission of the archdiocese is to proclaim the gospel of christ, to teach and spread the orthodox christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the church in the united states of america according to the orthodox. The council of bishops or synod is the highest religious authority in the church. On january 26th to february the 1st, a theological dialogue was held between the catholic church and the oriental orthodox churches at the syriac orthodox patriarchal residence in atchaneh, lebanon. He was one of the first hierarchs to call for an united orthodox church in the americas and specifically for the establishment of a conference of orthodox bishops. Francis and armenian orthodox patriarch say churches are. The catholic church comprised, as of 31 december 2011, 2,834 dioceses, each overseen by a bishop. Catholics there suffered persecution until the conversion of king tridates iv made armenia the first christian state in history. Find out about the orthodox christianity in armenia as well as its doctrine and priest. Here, the texas supreme courts decision threatens the greek orthodox churchs free exercise rights in. Armenian priest their vestments, hat and everything. Armenia became the first country to adopt christianity about 300 ce, when st.

However, as the late tamila mgaloblishvili cogently pointed out, 9 just because the hierarchy takes one doctrinal stance it does not mean. It is part of oriental orthodoxy and is one of the most ancient christian communities. Russian orthodox church in union with old rome two apostolic exarchates, at present with no published hierarchs. Christian church of the middle east, with armenian members. Pope francis and the armenian church the catholic thing. Bartholomew country became christian in 301 ad through the preaching of st. The armenian church defines itself as both orthodox and catholic, inasmuch as it regards itself to be an expression of true christian faith and of the universality of the church. The armenian church is a daughter of the new testament church of caesarea, and thaddaeus and bartholomew were its founding apostles. The armenian churchs ties with the rest of christianity were severed after its refusal to accept the council of chalcedon in ad 451, although contacts with byzantium were not completely broken. The ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church eotc has expanded considerably during the last two decades throughout the globe in the midst of turbulence caused by the division within the patriarchate. The leader of the church and the apostolic see of alexandria is the patriarch of alexandria on the holy see of saint mark, who also embodies the authority of coptic pope. There are about 1 million members of the church in lebanon, syria, israel, palestine, turkey, iraq, kuwait, with an additional 500,000 living in western countries like the usa. It is a well known phenomenon that the unity in the eastern orthodoxy is not of a very high degree, mainly in the north america.

Ecclesia armenocatholica, improperly referred to as the armenian uniate church, is one of the eastern particular churches sui iuris of the catholic church. Russia, china, and 20 parishes and communities scattered around the world, including five in russia itself, answering to bishops of other jurisdictions 1905. Those eastern churches that are in communion with rome are known as the eastern catholic churches. Oct 30, 2016 on saturday, october 29, the armenian church remembers st. Its liturgical heritage and theological and missionary record are unique. The kingdom of armenia was the first state to adopt christianity as its official religion under the rule of king tiridates iii in the early. Vagharshapat, armenia pope francis and the head of the oriental orthodox armenian apostolic church both boldly declared sunday that their communities are already one in prayer and action. They accept the leadership of the bishop of rome, known as the papal primacy, and therefore are in full.

This exhibit will travel from umdearborn to southfield to be displayed at the museum from. Its adherents live mainly in the balkans, the middle east, and former soviet countries. But there is more or less consensus on the order and most orthodox christians recognize the titles within the order. Armenia was the first country to adopt christianity as its official religion, when st. Gregory the armenian first country to adopt christianity as official religion council of devin 506 ad. An autocephalous church possesses the right to resolve all internal problems on its own authority and the ability to choose its own bishops. Orthodox christian leadership is hierarchical with each nationalethnic branch having. The syrian orthodox church was the original church established in jerusalem and grafted in antioch by the arameans and other gentile converts. In the catholic church, authority rests chiefly with the bishops, while priests and deacons serve as their assistants, coworkers or helpers. The eastern christian churches are characterized by a rich heritage with apostolic origin, and are treasured by the universal church, for the east was the home of jesus christ our savior. There is a discrepancy over the appointment of the metropolitans. Some members of the armenian diaspora became catholics, and in 1742 an armenian uniate catholic church which currently has about 750,000.

The armenian apostolic church is more than 1700 years old, and its age history. Eastern orthodoxy, official name orthodox catholic church, one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of christianity. Organizational structure of the oca orthodox church in. Introduction to autocephalous orthodox churches centered at constantinople there are fourteen orthodox churches that are generally accepted as autocephalous, which in greek means selfheaded. Its jurisdiction covers the territory of romania, with dioceses for romanians living in nearby. Armenian church hierarchy the armenian church maintains three main ecclesiastical orders and the catholicos stand at the peak. An oriental orthodox christian church based in egypt, northeast africa, and the middle east. Ecumenical patriarch, patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, priests learn from the bible blueprint, how the church was.