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 Armenian Apostolic Church | |
|---|---|
| Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի (Armenian) | |
 Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church | |
| Type | Autocephaly |
| Classification | Christian |
| Orientation | Oriental Orthodox |
| Scripture | Septuagint, New Testament, Armenian versions |
| Theology | Oriental Orthodox Theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Catholicos of All Armenians | Karekin II |
| Associations | World Council of Churches[1] |
| Region | Armenia, Armenian diaspora |
| Language | Classical Armenian |
| Liturgy | Armenian Rite |
| Headquarters | Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin[2] |
| Founder | Gregory the Illuminator Bartholomew the Apostle Thaddeus (Jude) |
| Origin | c. 1st century Kingdom of Armenia |
| Independence | 610 at the Third Council of Dvin[3] |
| Separated from | Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Second Council of Dvin (554)[4] |
| Separations | Armenian Catholic Church |
| Members | 9 million (self-reported)[5] |
| Other name(s) | Armenian Church |
| Official website | www |
| Logo |  |
| Part of a series on |
| Oriental Orthodoxy |
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The Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian: Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի, romanized: Hay Aṙaqelakan Ékełetsi)[note 1] is the autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christian churches.[7] The Armenian Apostolic Church uses the Armenian Rite. The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state in history to adopt Christianity as its official religion (under the Armenian Apostolic traditions) during the rule of King Tiridates III, of the Arsacid dynasty in the early 4th century.[8][9]
According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (Jude) in the 1st century. St. Gregory the Illuminator was the first official primate of the church. It is sometimes referred to as the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Armenian Church or Armenian Gregorian Church.[10][11][12]
The Armenian Apostolic Church should not be confused with the fully distinct Armenian Catholic Church, which is an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the See of Rome.[13]
- ^ Armenian Apostolic Church (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) and Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia) in the World Council of Churches
- ^ Tchilingirian, Hratch (2007). Bayram, Balcı; Motika, Raoul (eds.). Religion et politique dans le Caucase post-soviétique. Institut français d’études anatoliennes. pp. 277–311. ISBN 978-2-7068-1967-4.
The Catholicosate of All Armenians – also known as the "Mother See of Holy Ejmiatsin" – is the supreme ecclesiastical centre of the Church, located in the town of Vagharshapat, 25 km from Yerevan. It is recognised as "preeminent" among the four Hierarchical Sees of the Church
- ^ Erwin Fahlbusch (2011). "Armenian Apostolic Church". In John Mbiti (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Christianity Online. Brill. doi:10.1163/2211-2685_eco_a599.
- ^ Panossian, Razmik (2006). The Armenians: From Kings and Priests to Merchants and Commissars. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-231-13926-7.
The Armenian Apostolic Church formally became autocephalous - i.e. independent of external authority - in 554 by severing its links with the patriarchate of Constantinople.
- ^ "Catholicos of All Armenians". armenianchurch.org. Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
- ^ ""ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆՅԱՅՑ ԱՌԱՔԵԼԱԿԱՆ ՍՈՒՐԲ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻ" ԿԿ - HAYASTANYAYC ARAQELAKAN SURB YEKEGHECI RO". e-register.am. Electronic Register. Government of the Republic of Armenia.
- ^ Augusti, Johann Christian Wilhelm; Rheinwald, Georg Friedrich Heinrich; Siegel, Carl Christian Friedrich. The Antiquities of the Christian Church. p. 466.
- ^ Scott, Michael (2016-11-01). Ancient Worlds: A Global History of Antiquity. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-09473-8.
- ^ Grousset, René (1984) [1947]. Histoire de l'Arménie (in French). Payot. p. 122.. Estimated dates vary from 284 to 314. Garsoïan (op.cit. p. 82), following the research of Ananian, favours the latter.
- ^ "HISTORY". ՀԱՅ ԱՌԱՔԵԼԱԿԱՆ ԵԿԵՂԵՑՈՒ Արևմտյան Եվրոպայի Հայրապետական Պատվիրակություն. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ "History of the Armenian Church". Armenian Prelacy. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ "Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia)". World Council of Churches. January 1962. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ "Armenian Synod elects new Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia". Vatican News. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
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