The Armenian Apostolic Church is the worlds oldest national church. [2][3][4][5] It is part of Oriental Orthodoxy and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. [6] Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in AD 301, in establishing this church. [7] The Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church claims to have originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century and is an early center of Christianity. It is sometimes referred to as the Gregorian Church but this name is not preferred by the church itself, as it views the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus as its founders, and St. Gregory the Illuminator as merely the first official governor of the church. The Armenian Church claims apostolic succession through the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. [8][9][10] According to legend, 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 30 AD. Thaddaeus was then commissioned by Abgar to proselytize throughout Armenia, where he converted the king Sanatruks daughter, who 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 Sanatrook, 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. [9][10] 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. [8] Ancient Armenias adoption of Christianity as a state religion (the first state to do so) has been referred to Nina Garsoïan as probably the most crucial step in its history. [11] This conversion distinguished it from its Iranian and Mazdean roots and protected it from further Parthian influence. . While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat, Gregory had a vision of Christs coming to the earth to strike it with a hammer. From the spot rose a great Christian temple with a huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. With the kings help, he did so, along the lines of his vision. He renamed the city Etchmiadzin, which means the place of the descent of the only-begotten. [12] Initially the Armenian church participated in the larger church world. Its Catholicos was represented at the First Council of Nicea (325) and the First Council of Constantinople (381). Although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus (431), the Catholicos Isaac Parthiev sent a message agreeing with its decisions. [13] The Armenian Church began to distance itself from the Roman concept of the Universal Church when, in 373, King Papas (Pap) appointed Catholicos Husik without first sending him to Caesarea for commissioning. [14] 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 St. Mesrob Mashtots. Before the 5th century, Armenians had a spoken language, but it was not written. Thus, the Bible and Liturgy were written in Greek or Syriac rather than Armenian. The Catholicos Sahak commissioned Mesrob to create an Armenian alphabet, which he completed. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Apostolic_Church
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 09:10:28 +0000