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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 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.

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77-594: 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 . The Armenian Apostolic Church should not be confused with the fully distinct Armenian Catholic Church , which

154-540: 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 , the acceptance of Christianity by the Arsacid-Armenian rulers was partly in defiance of the Sassanids . When King Tiridates III made Christianity

231-680: 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

308-499: A Roman backlash, King Polymius's brother, Prince Astyages, ordered Bartholomew's torture and execution. However, this version of the story appears ahistorical, as there are no records of any Armenian king of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia with the name "Polymius". Other accounts of his martyrdom name the king as either Agrippa (identified with Tigranes VI ), or Sanatruk , king of Armenia. The 13th-century Saint Bartholomew Monastery

385-672: A copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Tradition narrates that he served as a missionary in Mesopotamia and Parthia , as well as Lycaonia and Ethiopia in other accounts. Popular traditions say that Bartholomew preached the Gospel in India and then went to Greater Armenia. Two ancient testimonies exist about the mission of Saint Bartholomew in India. These are by Eusebius of Caesarea (early 4th century) and by Saint Jerome (late 4th century). Both of these refer to this tradition while speaking of

462-950: 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 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

539-429: A figure reminiscent of Bartholomew holds up his skin. This figure is depicted in actual human tissues (made possible by Hagens's plastination process) to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and to show the effects of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. In Exquisite Pain 2006, Damien Hirst depicts St Bartholomew with a high level of anatomical detail with his flayed skin draped over his right arm,

616-596: 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 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

693-743: A letter as well as the books of the Old and New Testaments. The letter is from Bartholomew the Apostle and declares that an angel told him to set the ark and its contents afloat. Thus the scientists of Bensalem receive the revelation of the Word of God. The festival in August has been a traditional occasion for markets and fairs, such as the Bartholomew Fair which was held in Smithfield, London , from

770-618: 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 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

847-530: A scalpel in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other. The inclusion of scissors was inspired by Tim Burton 's film Edward Scissorhands (1990). Bartholomew plays a part in Francis Bacon 's Utopian tale New Atlantis , about a mythical isolated land, Bensalem, populated by a people dedicated to reason and natural philosophy. Some twenty years after the ascension of Christ the people of Bensalem find an ark floating off their shore. The ark contains

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924-590: A small island off the coast of Sicily , in the part of Italy controlled from Constantinople, was explained by Gregory of Tours by his body having miraculously washed up there. A large piece of his skin and many bones that were kept in the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew in Lipari, were translated to Benevento in 838, where they are still kept in the Basilica San Bartolomeo. A portion of the relics

1001-430: A virtual constant of iconography. An echo of concentration on these details is found in medieval heraldry regarding Bartholomew, which depicts "flaying knives with silver blades and gold handles, on a red field." Saint Bartholomew is often depicted in lavish medieval manuscripts. Bearing in mind that manuscripts are in fact made from flayed and manipulated skin, they hold a strong visual and cognitive association with

1078-606: Is also venerated on August 25 in commemoration of the transfer of Bartholomew's relics. He is also venerated as one of the twelve apostles on June 30. In the Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria , Bartholomew's martyrdom is commemorated on the first day of the Coptic calendar (i.e., the first day of the month of Thout ), which currently falls on 11 September (corresponding to 29 August in

1155-641: 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, 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

1232-595: 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 the Armed Forces of Armenia . They organize various religious programs in

1309-563: Is called miaphysitism . Whereas 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

1386-579: Is depicted wrapped in his own skin with every muscle, vein and tendon clearly visible, acting as a clear description of the muscles and structure of the human body. This idea has influenced some contemporary artists to create an artwork depicting an anatomical study of a human body is found amongst with Gunther Von Hagens 's The Skin Man (2002) and Damien Hirst 's Exquisite Pain (2006). Within Gunther Von Hagens's body of work called Body Worlds

1463-537: 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,

1540-490: Is that the India that Eusebius and Jerome refer to should be identified as Ethiopia or Arabia Felix . Along with his fellow apostle Jude "Thaddeus" , Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus, both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church . According to these traditions, Bartholomew is the second Catholicos-Patriarch of

1617-738: 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

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1694-638: Is the patron saint of tanners , plasterers , tailors , leatherworkers , bookbinders , farmers , housepainters , butchers , and glove makers. In works of art the saint has been depicted being skinned by tanners, as in Guido da Siena 's reliquary shutters with the Martyrdoms of St. Francis, St. Claire, St. Bartholomew, and St. Catherine of Alexandria . Popular in Florence and other areas in Tuscany ,

1771-619: Is up to every individual to decide whether they are Armenian or not, regardless of religion. Bartholomew the Apostle Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament . Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael , who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). The name Bartholomew ( Greek : Βαρθολομαῖος , transliterated "Bartholomaios") comes from

1848-525: The Armenian Apostolic Church . Christian tradition offers three accounts of Bartholomew's death: "One speaks of his being kidnapped, beaten unconscious, and cast into the sea to drown ." In the Hellenic tradition, Bartholomew was executed in Albanopolis in Armenia, where he was martyred for having converted Polymius, the local king, to Christianity. Enraged by the monarch's conversion, and fearing

1925-587: 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

2002-547: 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 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

2079-733: The Imperial Aramaic : בר-תולמי bar-Tolmay "son of Talmai " or "son of the furrows". Bartholomew is listed in the New Testament among the Twelve Apostles of Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels : Matthew , Mark , and Luke , and in Acts of the Apostles . Eusebius of Caesarea 's Ecclesiastical History (5:10) states that after the Ascension , Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India, where he left behind

2156-732: The Julian calendar ). Hence, the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Baku and Azerbaijan and Catholic Prefecture of Azerbaijan honour Saint Bartholomew as the Patron Saint of Azerbaijan and regards him as the bringer of Christianity to the region of Caucasian Albania , modern-day Azerbaijan . The feast day of the Apostle is solemnly celebrated there on 24 August by the Christian laity and the Church officials alike. In

2233-614: The Only-Begotten ". Initially, the Armenian Apostolic Church participated in the larger Christian world and was subordinated to the Bishop of Caesarea. Its Catholicos 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

2310-535: 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

2387-475: 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

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2464-522: 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

2541-418: 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

2618-540: 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 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

2695-548: The Armenian Church, having approved the christology of Chalcedon. This council was convened to clarify the relationship between the Armenian and Georgian churches. After the Council, Catholicos Abraham wrote an encyclical letter addressed to the people, blaming 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

2772-703: 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, 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

2849-522: The Berbers; Yehuda and Bard to Alexandria. Allah aided them with points of right argument and they prevailed. St. Vrtanes I Vrtanes also known Saint Vrtanes ( Armenian : Սբ. Վրթանէս Ա. Պարթև ) was the 14th Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church serving from 333 until his death in 341. He was the son of Julitta (or Mariam) of Armenia and Gregory the Illuminator . In 333, Vrtanes succeeded Aristaces as third in line in

2926-685: 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 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

3003-613: 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 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

3080-631: 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, was ordained in Tehran's St. Sarkis Mother Church as

3157-775: 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

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3234-407: The Just . Scholars including Bart Ehrman , Han J.W. Drijvers, and Walter Bauer dismiss 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

3311-399: The Less , John and Simon the Zealot . Quoting Ibn Is-haq, Qurtubi gives the following details concerning the mission of the disciples of Jesus Christ: He sent Peter and Paul to the Roman lands; Andrew and Matthew to Cannibals; Thomas to Babylon; Philips to Africa; John to Damascus the town of the seven-sleeper; Jacob to Jerusalem; Ibn Talma (i.e., Bartholomew ) to the Arab world; Simon to

3388-462: The Middle Ages, and which served as the scene for Ben Jonson 's 1614 homonymous comedy . St Bartholomew's Street Fair is held in Crewkerne , Somerset , annually at the start of September. The fair dates back to Saxon times and the major traders' market was recorded in the Domesday Book . St Bartholomew's Street Fair, Crewkerne is reputed to have been granted its charter in the time of Henry III (1207–1272). The earliest surviving court record

3465-450: 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

3542-476: The National Gallery painting differs significantly from all other depictions by Ribera. By limiting the number of participants to the main protagonists of the story (the saint, his executioner, one of the priests who condemned him, and one of the soldiers who captured him), and presenting them half-length and filling the picture space, the artist rejected an active, movemented composition for one of intense psychological drama. The cusping along all four edges shows that

3619-403: 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

3696-512: 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 the Armenian Apostolic Church resumed its activities. There were weddings, baptisms, and every Sunday Patarag at

3773-441: The current Roman General Calendar Saint Bartholomew's feast occurs on 24 August. Bartholomew the Apostle is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 24 August. The 6th-century writer Theodorus Lector averred that in about 507, the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Dicorus gave the body of Bartholomew to the city of Daras , in Mesopotamia, which he had recently refounded. The existence of relics at Lipari ,

3850-405: 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 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

3927-399: The divine; yet this same hand draws our attention to the instruments of his torture, symbolically positioned in the shape of a cross. Transfixed by Bartholomew's active faith, the executioner seems to have stopped short in his actions, and his furrowed brow and partially illuminated face suggest a moment of doubt, with the possibility of conversion. The representation of Bartholomew's demise in

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4004-431: 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

4081-528: 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 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

4158-593: 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 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

4235-537: 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

4312-419: 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

4389-457: The knife with which he was skinned. Of this a well known example is featured in Michelangelo 's Last Judgement . Not rarely, Bartholomew is shown draping his own skin around his body. Moreover, representations of Bartholomew with a chained demon are common in Spanish painting. St. Bartholomew is the most prominent flayed Jewish martyr; During the 16th century, images of the flaying of Bartholomew were popular and this detail came to become

4466-560: The local Christian population on the site where the Apostle Bartholomew was believed to have been martyred. Azerbaijani Christians believe that in the area near the Maiden Tower , the apostle Bartholomew was crucified and killed by pagans around 71 AD. The church continued to operate until 1936, when it was demolished as a part of the Soviet campaign against religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church honours Saint Bartholomew and Saint Thaddeus as its patron saints. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Bartholomew on June 11. Bartholomew

4543-441: 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

4620-524: 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

4697-406: The old capital city of Vagharshapat , Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer. From that spot arose a great Christian temple with a huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. With the king's help he did so in accordance with his vision, renaming the city Etchmiadzin , which means "the place of the descent of

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4774-453: The painting has not been cut down: Ribera intended the composition to be just such a tight, restricted presentation, with the figures cut off and pressed together. Although Bartholomew's death is commonly depicted in artworks of a religious nature, his story has also been used to represent anatomical depictions of the human body devoid of flesh. An example of this can be seen in Marco d'Agrate 's St Bartholomew Flayed (1562) where Bartholomew

4851-409: 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

4928-676: The reported visit of Saint Pantaenus to India in the 2nd century. The studies of Fr A.C. Perumalil SJ and Moraes hold that the Bombay region on the Konkan coast, a region which may also have been known as the ancient city Kalyan , was the field of Saint Bartholomew's missionary activities. Previously the consensus among scholars was at least skeptical about an apostolate of Saint Bartholomew in India. Stallings (1703), Neander (1853), Hunter (1886), Rae (1892), Zaleski (1915) supported it, while scholars such as Sollerius (1669), Carpentier (1822), Harnack (1903), Medlycott (1905), Mingana (1926), Thurston (1933), Attwater (1935), etc. do not. The main argument

5005-431: The right, the saint wears his own skin tied around his neck while he kneels in prayer before a rock, his severed head lying on the ground. A further depiction is that of the Flaying of St. Bartholomew in the Luttrell Psalter c.  1325 –1340. There, Bartholomew is depicted lying on a surgical table, surrounded by tormentors while he is flayed with golden knives. Due to the nature of his martyrdom, Bartholomew

5082-492: The saint also came to be associated with salt, oil, and cheese merchants. The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (1634) by Jusepe de Ribera depicts Bartholomew's final moments before being flayed alive. The viewer is meant to empathize with Bartholomew, whose body seemingly bursts through the surface of the canvas, and whose outstretched arms embrace a mystical light that illuminates his flesh. His piercing eyes, open mouth, and petitioning left hand bespeak an intense communion with

5159-402: The saint during the medieval period. Florentine artist Pacino di Bonaguida , depicts his martyrdom in a complex and striking composition in his Laudario of Sant'Agnese, a book of Italian Hymns produced for the Compagnia di Sant'Agnese c.  1340 . In the five-scene, narrative-based image, three torturers flay Bartholomew's legs and arms as he is immobilised and chained to a gate. On

5236-483: 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 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

5313-455: The then-hereditary Gregorid line of the Catholicos of the Armenian Catholic Church . Vrtanes was the first son born to St. Gregory I the Illuminator by his wife Miriam and his younger brother was St. Aristaces I . He was the father of St. Husik I and Grigoris . He died on 341 in which he was replaced by his eldest son, St. Husik I , as the next Catholicos-Patriarch . This biographical article about an Armenian religious figure

5390-422: Was a prominent Armenian monastery constructed at the presumed site of Bartholomew's martyrdom in Vaspurakan , Greater Armenia (now in southeastern Turkey). Azerbaijani Christians hold the official position that Apostle Bartholomew was the first person to bring Christianity to the lands of modern Azerbaijan and believe that he preached there. Saint Bartholomew Church (Baku) was built in 1892 with donations from

5467-414: 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 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,

5544-566: Was eventually martyred alongside Thaddeus when Sanatruk later fell into apostasy . After this, Bartholomew came to Armenia, bringing 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

5621-502: Was given in 983 by Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor , to Rome, where it is conserved at San Bartolomeo all'Isola , which was founded on the site of the temple of Asclepius , in pagan times an important Roman medical centre. This association with medicine caused Bartholomew's name to become associated in course of time with hospitals. A part of Bartholomew's alleged skull was transferred to the Frankfurt Cathedral , while an arm

5698-508: 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

5775-465: Was made in 1280, which can be found in the British Library . The Qur'anic account of the disciples of Jesus does not include their names, numbers, or any detailed accounts of their lives. Muslim exegesis , however, more or less agrees with the New Testament list and holds that the disciples included Peter , Philip , Thomas , Bartholomew, Matthew , Andrew , James , Jude , James

5852-456: 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

5929-564: Was venerated in Canterbury Cathedral . In 2003, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople brought some of the remains of St. Bartholomew to Baku as a gift to Azerbaijani Christians, and these remains are now kept in the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral . Saint Bartholomew has been credited with several miracles. In artistic depictions, Bartholomew is most commonly depicted holding his flayed skin and

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