Two Catholicosates Armenian Apostolic Church

1 2 catholicosates

1.1 mother see of holy etchmiadzin
1.2 great house of cilicia
1.3 reasons division

two catholicosates

the armenian apostolic church has 2 sees, catholicos of armenians residing in etchmiadzin, armenia, @ mother see of holy etchmiadzin, having pre-eminent supremacy in spiritual matters on see of cilicia, located in antelias, lebanon, administers dioceses under jurisdiction see fit. 2 sees follows:

mother see of holy etchmiadzin

the etchmiadzin cathedral, armenia s mother church

the mother see of holy etchmiadzin (armenian: Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին) spiritual , administrative headquarters of worldwide armenian church, center of faith of armenian nation – mother cathedral of armenian church, , pontifical residence of karekin ii. mother see of holy etchmiadzin blend of past, present , future of worldwide armenian church.

preserving past numerous museums, libraries , mother cathedral itself, holding vast richness of history , treasures. mother see responsible preservation of artifacts, both created church , given church gifts on time.

carrying on work of present , future innumerable departments , programs of armenian church. under leadership , guidance of karekin ii, mother see administers social, cultural , educational programs armenia , diaspora.

the mother cathedral recognised landmark of armenian church. built , consecrated st. gregory illuminator , st. trdat great in ad 303, cathedral located in city of vagharshapat, armenia.

it said st. gregory chose location of cathedral in accordance vision. in dream saw miatsin , begotten son of god, glittering light on face descending heavens , golden hammer striking ground cathedral located. hence comes name etchmiadzin , translates literally place miatsin descended.

the mother cathedral open every day; divine liturgy celebrated every sunday.

great house of cilicia

saint gregory illuminator cathedral (1940) in antelias, lebanon

the catholicosate of great house of cilicia (armenian: Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) located in antelias, lebanon, regional see of armenian apostolic church , autonomous church jurisdiction on segments of armenian diaspora.

as of 2012 catholicos aram head , catholicos of great house of cilicia. see has jurisdiction on prelacies in lebanon, syria, cyprus, greece, iran, persian gulf, united states, canada , venezuela. in united states, canada, syria, , greece there dioceses related mother see of holy etchmiadzin, there duality of representation of armenian apostolic churches in these countries.

the primacy of catholicosate of armenians (mother see of holy etchmiadzin) has been recognized catholicosate of great house of cilicia.

the rise of great house of cilicia autocephalous church occurred after fall of ani , armenian kingdom of bagradits in 1045. masses of armenians migrated cilicia , catholicosate established there. seat of church (now known catholicosate of great house of cilicia) first established in sivas (ad 1058) moving tavbloor (1062), dzamendav (1066), dzovk (1116), hromgla (1149), , sis (1293), then-capital of armenian kingdom of cilicia. beginning in 1293 , continuing more 6 centuries, city of sis (modern-day kozan, adana, turkey) center of catholicosate of great house of cilicia.

after fall of armenian kingdom of cilicia, in 1375, church continued in leadership role in armenian community, , catholicos recognized ethnarch (head of nation).

in 1441 kirakos virapetsi of armenia elected catholicos in holy etchmiadzin. @ same time residing catholicos in sis, gregory ix mousabegian (1439–1446), remained catholicos of cilicia. since 1441, there have continued 2 catholicosates in armenian church, each having rights , privileges, , each own jurisdiction.

during first world war , 1915 armenian genocide, armenian population , home of catholicosate @ monastery of st. sophia of sis (which can seen dominate town in 20th-century photographs), destroyed. last residing catholicos in sis sahag ii of cilicia (catholicos 1902 1939), followed armenian flock exile turkey.

since 1930, catholicosate of great house of cilicia has been headquartered in antelias, lebanon.

reasons division

the division of 2 catholicossates stemmed frequent relocations of church headquarters due political , military upheavals.

the division between 2 sees intensified during soviet period , extent reflected politics of cold war. armenian revolutionary federation (arf) dashnaktsutyun social democratic political party had dominated independent republic of armenia 1918 1920 , active in diaspora, saw church , clergy, worldwide headquarters @ mother see of holy etchmiadzin in soviet republic of armenia, captive communist puppet, , accused clergy in unduly influenced communists, particularly clergy reluctant participate in nationalist events , memorials perceived anti-soviet. on december 24, 1933, group of assassins attacked eastern diocese archbishop levon tourian walked down aisle of holy cross armenian church in washington heights neighborhood of new york city during divine liturgy, , killed him butcher s knife. 9 arf members later arrested, tried , convicted. incident divided armenian community, arf sympathizers established congregations independent of mother see of holy etchmiadzin, declaring loyalty instead see based in antelias in lebanon. division formalized in 1956 when antelias (cilician) see accepted provide spiritual , religious guidance communities mother see of holy etchmiadzin refused.

the separation has become entrenched in united states, large armenian communities having 2 parish churches, 1 answering each see, though theologically indistinguishable. there have been numerous lay , clergy efforts @ reunion, since fall of soviet union.

in 1995, karekin ii, catholicos of cilicia period 1983–1994, elected catholicos of armenians in mother see of holy etchmiadzin upon death of vazgen i, becoming karekin catholicos of armenians, , serving supreme head of church until 1999. unable unite 2 catholicosates, however, despite having headed both.