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72-693: The Armenian presence in Ethiopia is historic. On a religious basis, the Ethiopian Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church are both members of the Oriental Orthodox communion of churches alongside Coptic Orthodox , Syriac Orthodox , Ethiopian / Eritrean Orthodox and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (India) churches. The Armenian inhabitants in Ethiopia are Armenian Apostolics (Orthodox Armenians) belonging to

144-545: A de facto government, without having been granted by law; but since "Primate" is today a title, not a function, there is no such thing as a " de facto " primate. The pre-reformation metropolitan Archbishop of Nidaros was sometimes referred to as Primate of Norway, even though it is unlikely that this title ever was officially granted to him by the Holy See. The heads of certain sees have at times been referred to, at least by themselves, as primates: Source In

216-683: A 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center , in Armenia 82% of respondents say it is very or somewhat important to be a Christian to be truly Armenian. According to a 2015 survey 79% of people in Armenia trust it, while 12% neither trust it nor distrust it, and 8% distrust the church. As both Eastern and Western Armenia came under Persian and Ottoman rule, the Armenian Apostolic Church was the centre of many Armenian liberation activities. Early medieval opponents of

288-583: A canonical visitation, if necessary, in any congregation of the order, and to exercise a general supervision for the regular observance of monastic discipline. The Primatial powers are only vested in the Abbot Primate to act by virtue of the proper law of its autonomous Benedictine congregation, which at the present is minimal to none. However, certain branches of the Benedictine Order seem to have lost their original autonomy to some extent. In

360-488: A flowering of Armenian literature and a broader cultural renaissance. Although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus (431), Catholicos Isaac Parthiev (Sahak Part'ew) sent a message agreeing with its decisions. However, non-doctrinal elements in the Council of Chalcedon (451) caused certain problems to arise. Miaphysitism spread from Syria to Armenia, from where it came to Georgia and Caucasian Albania . At

432-573: A huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. With the king's help he did so in accordance with his vision, renaming the city Etchmiadzin , which means "the place of the descent of the Only-Begotten ". Initially, the Armenian Apostolic Church participated in the larger Christian world and was subordinated to the Bishop of Caesarea. Its Catholicos

504-850: A large and influential Armenian diaspora community with its own political parties, has more than 17 recognized Armenian Apostolic churches. The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey and the Armenian Apostolic Church of Iran are important communities in the diaspora. These churches represent the largest Christian ethnic minorities in these predominantly Muslim countries. The United Kingdom has three Armenian churches: St Sarkis in Kensington , London; Saint Yeghiche in South Kensington , London; and Holy Trinity in Manchester . Ethiopia has had an Armenian church since

576-551: A metropolitan tribunal is "the tribunal which the metropolitan has designated in a stable manner with the approval of the Apostolic See". The closest equivalent position in the Eastern Churches in 1911 was an Exarch . The Holy See has continued in modern times to grant the title of Primate. With the papal decree Sollicitae Romanis Pontificibus of 24 January 1956 it granted the title of Primate of Canada to

648-612: A nation or region, are now exercised by the president of the conference of bishops : "The president of the Conference or, when he is lawfully impeded, the vice-president, presides not only over the general meetings of the Conference but also over the permanent committee." The president is generally elected by the conference, but by exception the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference is appointed by

720-573: A portrait of the Virgin Mary , which he placed in a nunnery he founded over a former temple of Anahit . Bartholomew then converted the sister of Sanatruk, who once again martyred a female relative and the apostle who converted her. Both apostles ordained native bishops before their execution, and some other Armenians had been ordained outside of Armenia by James the Just . Scholars including Bart Ehrman , Han J.W. Drijvers, and Walter Bauer dismiss

792-486: A similar way the Confederation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine , elects an Abbot Primate as figurehead of the Confederation and indeed the whole Canonical Order. The Abbots and Superiors General of the nine congregations of confederated congregations of Canons Regular elect a new Abbot Primate for a term of office lasting six years. The Current Abbot Primate is Rt Rev. Fr Jean-Michel Girard, CRB, Abbot General of

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864-455: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Ethiopia -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church ( Armenian : Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի , romanized :  Hay Aṙaqelakan Ékełetsi ) is the national church of Armenia . Part of Oriental Orthodoxy , it is one of the most ancient Christian institutions. The Kingdom of Armenia

936-464: Is believed to be the largest canonization service in history. 1.5 million is the most frequently published number of victims, however, estimates vary from 700,000 to 1,800,000. It was the first canonization by the Armenian Apostolic Church in four hundred years. The Army Chaplaincy Program of the Armenian Church is made up of more than 50 clergymen serving as military chaplains to

1008-539: Is seen as a venerable institution that unites all Armenians." Stepan Danielyan, a scholar on religion, argued in 2013 that "When Armenia became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union, a great deal was expected of the church, but those expectations have not been fulfilled. The church continues to ignore the things most people are worried about – vitally important social, economic and political problems and endless corruption scandals." In independent Armenia,

1080-740: Is the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia , headquartered since 1930 in Antelias , Lebanon . The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin has pre-eminent supremacy in all spiritual matters over the See of Cilicia, which however administers to the dioceses under its jurisdiction as they see fit. The Armenian Catholic Church is completely distinct from the Armenian Apostolic Church and is headed by its own Patriarch-Catholicos. The Armenian Apostolic Church has two patriarchates of high authority, both under

1152-480: Is up to every individual to decide whether they are Armenian or not, regardless of religion. Primate (bishop) Primate ( / ˈ p r aɪ m ə t / ) is a title or rank bestowed on some important archbishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority ( title of authority ) or (usually) ceremonial precedence ( title of honour ). In

1224-632: The Armed Forces of Armenia . They organize various religious programs in the military, including delivering lectures and prayers. It is jointly funded and sponsored by the Ministry of Defence of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church. All army chaplains are commissioned officers in the armed forces who hold a military rank. It was established in 1997 on the basis of a joint initiative of Catholicos Karekin I and Defense minister Vazgen Sargsyan . Since 2011, combined clergy company has taken part in

1296-493: The Armenian Apostolic Church . The Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) have their own church, Sourp Kevork (St. George) Armenian Apostolic Church in Addis Ababa . The first-ever pastor of the Armenian community was Rev. Hovhannes Guevherian. Armenians had traded with Ethiopia from as early as the first century AD. Armenians have a very old presence in Ethiopia. One of the first recorded diplomatic missions to Europe from Ethiopia

1368-568: The Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church , Armenian Church or Armenian Gregorian Church . 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 . The Armenian Apostolic Church believes in apostolic succession through the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (Jude) . According to tradition,

1440-803: The Armenians in 335, it seeks to correct irregularities in the initiation rites of baptism and the eucharist in use in the Armenian Church by articulating the practices in Jerusalem. In so doing, it reveals the divergent forms being practiced in Armenia , which have strong echoes of old East Syriac Rite . Orthopraxy was conceived by Vrtanes and his Armenian colleagues in terms of liturgical performance in Jerusalem. In 353, King Papas (Pap) appointed Catholicos Husik without first sending him to Caesarea for commissioning. The Armenian Catholicos

1512-613: The First Council of Dvin in 506, the synod of the Armenian, Georgian , and Caucasian Albanian bishops was assembled during the time in office of Catholicos Babken I . The participation of the Catholicoi of Georgia and Albania was set to make clear the position of the churches concerning the Council of Chalcedon. The "Book of Epistles" mentions that 20 bishops, 14 laymen, and many nakharars (rulers of Armenia) participated in

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1584-459: The Latin Church , a primate is an archbishop —or, rarely, a suffragan or exempt bishop —of a specific (mostly metropolitan) episcopal see (called a primatial see ) who has precedence over the bishoprics of one or more ecclesiastical provinces of a particular historical, political or cultural area. Historically, primates of particular sees were granted privileges including

1656-535: The Third Council of Dvin where the Chalcedonian dyophysite christological formula was rejected. However, again like other Oriental Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic Church argues that the identification as "monophysitism" is an incorrect description of its position. It considers Monophysitism, as taught by Eutyches and condemned at Chalcedon, a heresy and only disagrees with the formula defined by

1728-682: The Tsarist government of the Russian Empire moved to confiscate the property of the Armenian Church. Like all Oriental Orthodox churches, the Armenian Church has been referred to as monophysite by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologians because it rejected the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon , which condemned the belief of one incarnate nature of Christ ( monophysis ). The Armenian Church officially severed ties with Rome and Constantinople in 610, during

1800-465: The primate of Poland holds no jurisdictional authority over other Polish bishops or their dioceses, but is durante munere a member of the standing committee of the episcopal conference, and has honorary precedence among Polish bishops (e.g., in liturgical ceremonies). The Holy See has also granted Polish primates the privilege of wearing cardinal's crimson attire, except for the skullcap and biretta , even if they have not been made cardinals . Where

1872-594: The 1920s, when groups of Armenians were invited there after the Armenian genocide by Turkey; however, membership numbers are low in the early 2020s. The Armenian Apostolic Church is "seen by many as the custodian of Armenian national identity." "Beyond its role as a religious institution, the Apostolic Church has traditionally been seen as the foundational core in the development of the Armenian national identity as God's uniquely chosen people." According to

1944-567: The 5th century, Armenians had a spoken language, but no script. Thus, the Bible and liturgy were written in the Greek or Syriac scripts until Catholicos Sahak Part'ew commissioned Mesrop to create the Armenian alphabet , which he completed in c.  405 . Subsequently, the Bible and liturgy were translated into Armenian and written in the new script. The translation of the Bible, along with works of history, literature and philosophy , caused

2016-584: The Archbishop of Quebec . As stated above, this is merely an honorary title involving no additional power. A right of precedence over other bishops and similar privileges can be granted even to a bishop who is not a Primate. Thus, in 1858, the Holy See granted the Archbishop of Baltimore precedence in meetings of the United States bishops. The Archbishop of Westminster has not been granted

2088-400: The Armenian Apostolic Church and sent him to Caesarea to be consecrated. Upon his return, Gregory tore down shrines to idols, built churches and monasteries, and ordained many priests and bishops . While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat , Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer. From that spot arose a great Christian temple with

2160-481: The Armenian Apostolic Church has often been criticized for its perceived support of the governments of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan despite the formal separation of church and state in Armenia. According to former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan religion and state management "have completely gotten mixed up". He described the church as an "untouchable" organization that is secretive of its income and expenditure. Large-scale construction of new churches in

2232-756: The Armenian Apostolic Church is allowed to preach on the territory of the Republic of Artsakh. However, the law did make processes available for other religious institutions to get approval from the government if they wished to worship within the Republic. Outside of West Asia , today there are notable Armenian Apostolic congregations in various countries. In 2024, the church had 600,000 members in North America and 10,000 members in South America; they also had 25,000 members in Europe. Lebanon , home to

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2304-459: The Armenian Apostolic Church resumed its activities. There were weddings, baptisms, and every Sunday Patarag at a free will attendance basis. The Armenian Apostolic Church since 1989 restored or constructed more than 30 churches worldwide. In 2009 the Republic of Artsakh government introduced a law entitled "Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations", article 8 of which provided that only

2376-522: The Armenian Church in Armenia included the Paulicians (7th-9th centuries) and the Tondrakians (9th-11th centuries). The power relationship between Catholic and secular rulers was sometimes a source of conflict. In 1037 king Hovhannes-Smbat of Ani deposed and imprisoned Catholicos Petros , who he suspected of holding pro-Byzantine views, and appointed a replacement catholicos. This persecution

2448-419: The Armenian Church's loyal service to foreign invaders: "The Armenian Apostolic Church is a conscientious tax structure, which every conqueror needs." Gerard Libaridian argued that because Armenians consider the church a national institution, it "must be respected and guarded at all times. Therefore the critical attitude regarding Armenian historical institutions is rarely applied to the Armenian Church, as it

2520-759: The Benedictines were ordo sine ordine ("an order without order"). The powers of the Abbot Primate are specified, and his position defined, in a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars dated 16 September 1893. The primacy is attached to the global Benedictine Confederation whose Primate resides at Sant'Anselmo in Rome . He takes precedence of all other abbots, is empowered to pronounce on all doubtful matters of discipline, to settle difficulties arising between monasteries, to hold

2592-561: The Canons Regular of the Grand St Bernard. Anglican usage styles the bishop who heads an independent church as its "primate", though commonly they hold some other title (e.g. archbishop, presiding bishop, or moderator). The primates' authority within their churches varies considerably: some churches give the primate some executive authority, while in others they may do no more than preside over church councils and represent

2664-411: The Council of Chalcedon. The Armenian Church instead adheres to the doctrine defined by Cyril of Alexandria , considered as a saint by the Chalcedonian churches as well, who described Christ as being of one incarnate nature, where both divine and human nature are united (miaphysis). To distinguish this from Eutychian and other versions of Monophysitism this position is called miaphysitism . Whereas

2736-559: The Council, Catholicos Abraham wrote an encyclical letter addressed to the people, blaming Catholicos Kurion of the Georgian Church and his adherents for the schism. The Council never set up canons; it only deprived Georgians from taking communion in the Armenian Church. Despite this, the Albanian Church remained under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Church while also in communion with the Georgian Church. In 1903,

2808-464: The Divine Liturgy." Monastic women deacons generally do not minister in traditional parish churches or cathedrals, although the late Sister Hripseme did minister and serve during public liturgies, including in the United States. The Armenian Church's last monastic deaconess was Sister Hripsime Sasounian (died in 2007) and on 25 September 2017, Ani-Kristi Manvelian, a twenty-four-year-old woman,

2880-724: The Great War and the Armenian Genocide), the Armenian Apostolic Church was composed of four patriarchal provinces, comprising at that date seventy-two, six, and two dioceses in Turkey , Russia , and Iran , respectively. The Armenian Apostolic Church currently has two sees . First, there is the Catholicos of All Armenians residing in Etchmiadzin , Armenia , at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Second, there

2952-453: The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, stated on television that a non-Apostolic Armenian is not a "true Armenian". A spokesperson for the Armenian Apostolic Church stated that it is his personal view. The statement received considerable criticism, though Asoghik did not retract his statement. In an editorial in the liberal Aravot daily Aram Abrahamyan suggested that religious identity should not be equated with national (ethnic) identity and it

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3024-719: The Pope, and the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference has the Primate of All Ireland as president and the Primate of Ireland as vice-president. Other former functions of primates, such as hearing appeals from metropolitan tribunals , were reserved to the Holy See by the early 20th century. Soon after, by the norm of the Code of Canon Law of 1917, confirmed in the 1983 Code, the tribunal of second instance for appeals from

3096-533: The acceptance of Christianity by the Arsacid-Armenian rulers was partly in defiance of the Sassanids . When King Tiridates III made Christianity the state religion of Armenia between 300 and 301, it was not an entirely new religion there. It had penetrated the country from at least the third century, and may have been present even earlier. Tiridates declared Gregory to be the first Catholicos of

3168-710: The atrocities in Ottoman Empire , and were afterwards adopted by Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia , then Crown Prince Ras Tafari. He had met them while visiting the Armenian monastery in Jerusalem . They impressed him so much that he obtained permission from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem to adopt and bring them to Ethiopia , where he then arranged for them to receive musical instruction. The Arba Lijoch arrived in Addis Ababa in 1924, and along with their bandleader Kevork Nalbandian became

3240-514: The authority to call and preside at national synods , jurisdiction to hear appeals from metropolitan tribunals, the right to crown the sovereign of the nation, and presiding at the investiture (installation) of archbishops in their sees. The office is generally found only in older Catholic countries, and is now purely honorific, enjoying no effective powers under canon law —except for the archbishop of Esztergom (Gran) in Hungary. Thus, e.g.,

3312-407: The case of a married priest (Der Hayr), the wife of the priest generally plays an active role in the parish and is addressed by the title Yeretzgin. In limited circumstances, the Armenian Church allows for divorce and remarriage. Cases usually include either adultery or apostasy. On April 23, 2015, the Armenian Apostolic Church canonized all the victims of the Armenian genocide ; this service

3384-685: The church ceremonially. In the context of the Anglican Communion Primates' Meeting , the chief bishop of each of the thirty-nine churches (also known as provinces) that compose the Anglican Communion acts as its primate, though this title may not necessarily be used within their own provinces. Thus the United Churches of Bangladesh, of North India, of Pakistan and of South India, which are united with other originally non-Anglican churches, are represented at

3456-558: The close association of the Armenian Apostolic Church with the Armenian government, calling the Church an "untouchable" organisation that is secretive of its income and expenditure. After the Bolshevik revolution and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Armenia , all functioning religious institutions in the NKAO were closed down and clergymen often either exiled or shot. After a while

3528-650: The conversion of Abgar V as fiction. According to Eusebius and Tertullian , Armenian Christians were persecuted by kings Axidares , Khosrov I , and Tiridates III , the last of whom was converted to Christianity by Gregory the Illuminator . Ancient Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as a state religion , which has been referred to by Nina Garsoïan as "probably the most crucial step in its history." This conversion distinguished it from its Iranian and Mazdean roots and protected it from further Parthian influence. According to Mary Boyce ,

3600-422: The council. Almost a century later (609–610), the Third Council of Dvin was convened during the reign of Catholicos Abraham I of Aghbatank and Prince Smbat Bagratuni , with clergymen and laymen participating. The Georgian Church disagreed with the Armenian Church, having approved the christology of Chalcedon. This council was convened to clarify the relationship between the Armenian and Georgian churches. After

3672-615: The first official orchestra of the nation. Nalbandian also composed the music for Ethiopia Hoy (words by Yoftehé Negusé ), which was the Imperial National Anthem from 1930 to 1974. The population peaked in shortly before the Italian invasion in 1935 at around 2,800. By the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, it was around 2,000, after which the numbers fell precipitously. This Armenia -related article

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3744-402: The founding of Portugal , the Archbishop of Braga held precedence over all other archbishops in the country, though his role declined under the rise of the Archdiocese of Lisbon , which culminated in 1716, when Archbishop Tomás de Almeida (1670–1754) was elevated to Patriarch . Some of the leadership functions once exercised by Primates, specifically presiding at meetings of the bishops of

3816-541: The independence period and the negligence of endangered historic churches by the Apostolic church (and the government) have also been criticized. In recent years, a few high-profile leaders of the church have been involved in controversies. In 2013 Navasard Ktchoyan, the Archbishop of the Araratian Diocese and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan were alleged to have been partners with a businessman charged with laundering US$ 10.7 million bank loan and then depositing most of it in accounts he controlled in Cyprus. In 2011 it

3888-424: The jurisdiction of the Catholicos of All Armenians : List of eparchies: Source: Source: The Armenian Church does not ordain women to the priesthood. Historically, however, monastic women have been ordained as deacons within a convent environment. When ordained to the diaconate, "men and women are ordained to the diaconate using the same rite, with both having functions of chanting the Gospel and serving in

3960-413: The latter of the two apostles is said to have cured Abgar V of Edessa of leprosy with the Image of Edessa , leading to his conversion in AD 30. Thaddaeus was then commissioned by Abgar to proselytize throughout Armenia, where he converted King Sanatruk 's daughter, who was eventually martyred alongside Thaddeus when Sanatruk later fell into apostasy . After this, Bartholomew came to Armenia, bringing

4032-415: The meetings by their moderators. In both the Church of England and the Church of Ireland , two bishops have the title of primate: the archbishops of Canterbury and York in England and of Armagh and Dublin in Ireland. Only the bishop of the senior primatial see of each of these two churches participates in the meetings. The archbishop of Canterbury, who is considered primus inter pares of all

4104-450: The modern confederation of the Benedictine Order , all the Black Monks of St. Benedict were united under the presidency of an Abbot Primate (Leo XIII, Summum semper , 12 July 1893); but the unification, fraternal in its nature, brought no modification to the abbatial dignity, and the various congregations preserved their autonomy intact. The loose structure of the Benedictine Confederation is claimed to have made Pope Leo XIII exclaim that

4176-526: The national culture and preservation of the national identity of the people of Armenia." Among others, ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan has questioned the constitutionality of the phrase "national church". In 2009, further constitutional amendments were drafted that would make it a crime for non-traditional religious groups to proselytize on adherents of the Apostolic Church. Minority groups would also be banned from spreading 'distrust' in other faiths. Hrant Bagratyan , former Prime Minister of Armenia, condemned

4248-480: The participants, convokes the meetings and issues the invitations. Primates and archbishops are styled "The Most Reverend". All other bishops are styled "The Right Reverend", with the exception of the Bishop of Meath and Kildare in the Church of Ireland. Historically, the primatial title in Western Christianity corresponded to the title and office of supra-metropolitan exarch in Eastern Christianity . Such exarchs, or primates, were archbishops of Ephesus (for

4320-533: The prefix "mono-" (< Greek μονο- < μόνος) means "single, alone, only", thus emphasising the singular nature of Christ, "mia" (μία "one" FEM ), simply means "one" unemphatically, and allows for a compound nature. In recent times, both Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian churches have developed a deeper understanding for each other's positions, recognizing their substantial agreement while maintaining their respective positions. According to The Armenian Church by Archdeacon Dowling published in 1910 (before

4392-410: The quinquennial Armenian Independence Day Parade on Republic Square in Yerevan . The status of the Armenian Apostolic Church within Armenia is defined in the country's constitution . Article 8.1 of the Constitution of Armenia states: "The Republic of Armenia recognizes the exclusive historical mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as a national church, in the spiritual life, development of

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4464-422: The time did not have an alphabet, its clergy learned Greek and Syriac . From this synthesis, the new Armenian Rite came about, which had similarities both with the Byzantine and the Antiochian Syriac rite. Christianity was strengthened in Armenia in the 5th century by the translation of the Bible into the Armenian language by the native theologian , monk , and scholar , Saint Mesrop Mashtots . Before

4536-461: The title of Primate of England and Wales, which is sometimes applied to him, but his position has been described as that of "Chief Metropolitan" and as "similar to" that of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The title of Primate is sometimes applied loosely to the Archbishop of a country's capital, as in the case of the Archbishops of Seoul in South Korea and of Edinburgh in Scotland. Functions can sometimes be exercised in practice ( de facto ), as by

4608-414: The title of primate exists, it may be vested in one of the oldest archdioceses in a country, often based in a city other than the present capital, but which was the capital when the country was first Christianized. The city may no longer have the prominence it had when the title was granted. The political area over which primacy was originally granted may no longer exist: for example, the Archbishop of Toledo

4680-414: Was designated "Primate of the Visigothic Kingdom ", and the Archbishop of Lyon is the " Primate of the Gauls ". The title of Primate can, therefore, also be disputed between different Archdioceses who, at some point, held proeminence over a shifting territory; such is the dispute over the Primacy of the Spains that was fought over by the Archdioceses of Braga , Toledo and Santiago de Compostela . After

4752-460: Was highly criticized by the Armenian clergy, forcing Hovhannes-Smbat to release Petros and reinstall him to his former position. In 1038 a major ecclesiastical council was held in Ani, which denied the king the right to elect or remove a catholicos. Architecture historian Samvel Karapetyan (1961-2016) has criticized many aspects of the Armenian Apostolic Church, especially its role in Armenian history. Karapetyan particularly denounced what he called

4824-431: Was led by Matthew the Armenian who traveled to Portugal and Rome at the request of the Dowager Empress Eleni of Ethiopia to appeal for aid against Islamic incursions into Ethiopia in the early 16th century. Besides the obvious religious affiliation, there is also the story of the "Arba Lijoch" children coming to Ethiopia after the Armenian genocide . Arba Lijoch were a group of 40 Armenian orphans who had escaped from

4896-487: Was ordained in Tehran's St. Sarkis Mother Church as the first parish deaconess after many centuries. Women also serve as altar girls and lay readers, especially when a parish is so small that not enough boys or men are regularly available to serve. Women commonly serve the church in the choir and at the organ, on parish councils, as volunteers for church events, fundraisers, and Sunday schools, as supporters through Women's Guilds, and as staff members in church offices. In

4968-426: Was represented at the First Council of Nicea (325). St. Vrtanes I , the third Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church (333–341), sent a letter with specific questions to Macarius , the Orthodox Bishop of Jerusalem (312-335/36), taken to Jerusalem by a delegation of Armenian priests on the occasion of the Encaenia , in dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in September 335. In Macarius's letter to

5040-404: Was revealed that Ktchoyan drives a Bentley (valued at $ 180,000-$ 280,000). Pointing out the 34% poverty rate in Armenia, Asbarez editor Ara Khachatourian called it "nothing but blasphemy". He added "Archbishop Kchoyan's reckless disregard and attitude is even more unacceptable due to his position in the Armenian Church." In October 2013 Father Asoghik Karapetyan, the director of the Museum of

5112-437: Was still represented at the First Council of Constantinople (381). As Gregory was consecrated by the bishop of Caesarea, he also accepted the Byzantine Rite . However, the Armenian Church, due to the influence of the Church in Edessa , the large presence of Syriacs in Armenia, as well as the number of Syriac priests that arrived in Armenia with Gregory, also cultivated the West Syriac or Antiochian Rite. Since Armenians at

5184-466: Was the first state in history to adopt Christianity as its official religion under the rule of King Tiridates III , of the Arsacid dynasty in the early 4th century. 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

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