Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is a church with ancient Near Eastern today sixteen million Armenian and Turkish Christians in two Katholikaten ( Etchmiadzin, Sis ), two patriarchates (Jerusalem, Constantinople Opel ) and 30 dioceses, including nine in Armenia.
History
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the oldest " intrinsically legitimate " ( sui juris) state church in the world and claimed apostolic foundation. According to tradition, the Apostle Jude Thaddeus and Bartholomew preached in the second half of the first century in Armenia, founded Christian communities and suffered martyrdom. Because the Armenian people was brought by the Apostles Christianity, is the name of the Armenian Church, " apostolic". The name " Gregorian church " derives from the patron saint of the Armenian people, Gregory the Illuminator, ie from the Baptist. When in the year 301 (according to other 316) King Trdat III. , Who had been converted by Gregor, made Christianity the state religion, Armenia became the first Christian state in the world.
Legend has it that the Armenians Gregor wanted to accuse the lions because it preached the Christian faith. That the famished lion Gregor not eating, indicated the Armenians as a sign from God and they became Christians. Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet and translated in this document, parts of the Bible into Armenian. The doctrine of the ( Imperial ) Council of Chalcedon in 451, where no bishop had participated from Armenia, was rejected by the Synod of the Armenian Apostolic Church 506. For this reason, the Armenian Apostolic Church (together with the Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syrian Orthodox and Malankara Church ) expected to vorchalcedonischen " Oriental Orthodox Churches " or Eastern Churches.
In the Middle Ages Armenian kings appropriated their dominions in Caucasia more or less voluntarily to the Byzantine Empire and settled with their followers, especially in Cappadocia. In the following period in Cilicia was the Kingdom of Lesser Armenia. The church leadership followed this movement. As a result, the residence of the " Catholicos of the Armenians " in Cilicia for the longest time, until the early 20th century, Sis. The in the East ( "Greater Armenia" ) remaining Armenians founded in the 12th and 15th centuries Katholikate in Aghtamar, Gandsassar and Echmiadzin, of which the latter was finally able to gain the leading position within the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Today there is a large Armenian diaspora, whereby the Armenian Apostolic Church has spread worldwide.
Return of confiscated property
In August 2011, the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to the Christian minorities in Turkey, including the Armenian Apostolic Church decided by a decree, in the past confiscated property and religious buildings to return. The Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and Opel representatives of the European Union responded positively and praised the decision as restitution from past injustice. The return of the confiscated property is a requirement of the EU in the accession negotiations between Turkey and the European Union. Nevertheless, no priest still may be trained in seminaries.
Dioceses
- Catholicos of All Armenians of Edschmidazin: Ararat, Anatolia, Aragazotn, Armavir, Syunik, Kukark, Aradznortaran, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Karabagh, Kiev, Norway Nachicevan, Shirak, Sofia, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Baghdad, Athens, Damascus, Cairo, Bucharest, Vienna, Cologne, Geneva, Lyon, Marseille, London, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Montevideo, Sydney, Central Europe - Sweden, London
- Catholicos of Cilicia: Sis, Athens, Los Angeles, Aleppo, Kuwait, Venezuela, New York, Cyprus, Canada, Tehran, Beirut, Julfa, Tabriz
- Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Amman
- Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel: Istanbul, Scutari, Diyarbakır
Cult
- Surb Tsnund corresponds to the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christmas.
- Tukh Manuk, honored in the popular religion of black youth who was taken from pre-Christian myths.