What is the religion in Armenia? Official religion: Armenia

The Christian world is so secularized that European nations, once a stronghold of evangelical values, are called post-Christian civilization. Secular society allows the embodiment of the most phantasmagoric aspirations. New moral values of Europeans come into conflict with what religion preaches. Armenia is one of the few examples of fidelity to the millennial ethno-cultural traditions. In this state, at the highest legislative level, it is evidenced that centuries-old spiritual experience of the people is a national treasure.

What is the official religion in Armenia?

More than 95% of the country's three million people are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This Christian community is one of the oldest in the world. Orthodox theologians attribute the Transcaucasian community of believers to five other so-called anti-Chalcedonite communities. A well-established theological definition does not provide an exhaustive answer to the question of what kind of religion in Armenia.

Orthodox call Armenians monophysites - recognizing in Christ one physical essence, Armenian Orthodox theologians are accused of the opposite. These dogmatic subtleties are understandable only to theologians. On closer examination, it turns out that mutual accusations are erroneous. The official name of the community of believers in Armenia is the "One Holy Universal Ecumenical Apostolic Orthodox Armenian Church".

The first Christian state in the world

For a whole decade before the adoption of the Milan edict by the emperor Constantine the Great, in 301 King Trdat III broke off relations with paganism and proclaimed Christianity as the state religion. In times of terrible persecution of the followers of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire, the ruler took a decisive and unexpected step. This was preceded by turbulent events in Transcaucasia.

Emperor Diocletian officially proclaims Trdat the king of Armenia, which was part of the Roman province of Cappadocia. In 287 he, with the mediation of the Roman legions, returns to his homeland and enters the throne. Being a pagan, Trdat is taken to zealously perform religious rites, while commanding the beginning of the persecution of Christians. The cruel execution of 40 Christian girls makes a sharp turn in the fate of the king and his subjects.

The great enlightener of the Armenian people

The baptism of the whole people was due to the enlightening activity of St. Gregory. He was a descendant of the noble family of the Arxaids. For the confession of faith, Gregory suffered many torments. Through the prayers of the holy Trdat was punished with a mental illness for the torment of Christians. Gregory of the tyrant forced to repent. After this, the king was healed. Believing in Christ, he was baptized along with his courtiers.

In Caesarea - the main city of Cappadocia - in 302 Gregory was elevated to the rank of bishop. After returning to Armenia, he begins to baptize the people, build temples and schools for preachers. In the capital of King Trdat III, by revelation from above, the saint founded a temple, later named Echmiadzin. On behalf of the Enlightener, the Armenian Church is called Gregorian.

Centuries of struggle

Christianity, as the official religion of Armenia, became an irritant to the rulers of neighboring Persia. Iran has taken decisive action to eradicate the new faith and plant Zoroastrianism. This has been promoted by the pro-Sicist landowners. From 337 to 345 Shapur II, having executed tens of thousands of Christians in Persia itself, makes a number of ruinous campaigns in the Transcaucasus.

Shakhinshah Yezdigerd II, wishing to strengthen his position in Transcaucasia, sent an ultimatum in 448. The Council of Clergy and laity gathered in Artashat answered that Armenians recognize the secular power of the Persian ruler, but religion must remain inviolable. Armenia rejected this proposal by adopting an alien faith. An uprising began. In 451 on Avarayrskom field there was the largest battle in the history of the country. Although the defenders lost the battle, the persecution was suspended. After that, for another thirty years Armenia fought for its faith, until in 484 a peace treaty was concluded with Persia, according to which Armenians were allowed to freely profess Christianity.

Administrative structure of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Until 451 the Armenian Apostolic Church represented one of the local communities of the united Christian Church. However, due to incorrect evaluation of the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, a misunderstanding arose. In 506, the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine, which significantly influenced the history of the state, its political and public activities.

The main religion of Armenia is confessed on five continents by more than 9 million believers. The spiritual head is the patriarch-katalikos, in whose title it appears that he is the spiritual leader of the Nation both in Armenia and the Armenians in the dispersion around the world.

The residence of the Armenian patriarch from 1441 is in the monastery of Echmiadzin. In the jurisdiction of the Catholicos there are dioceses on the territory of all CIS countries, as well as in Europe, Iran, Egypt, North and South America, Australia and Oceania, Vicariate in India and the Far East. The Armenian patriarchs in Istanbul (Constantinople), Jerusalem and the Great House of Cilicia (modern town of Kozan in Turkey) are subject to the canonical plan of the Etchmiadzin Catholicosat.

Features of the Armenian Church

The Armenian church is practically a monoethnic religious community: the overwhelming majority of believers are Armenians. To this denomination belongs a small community of Udin in the north of Azerbaijan and several thousand Azeri tats. For assimilated by Armenians, Roma Bosch, wandering in Transcaucasia and Syria, this is also a native religion. Armenia preserves the Gregorian calendar of the church calendar.

Liturgical features are as follows:

• Bread for communion is used, as in the Catholic tradition, unleavened, and wine is not dissolved by water.
• Liturgy is served exclusively on Sundays and on special occasions.
• The Sacrament of Sobor is performed only on the clergy, and immediately after death.

Divine services in Armenian churches are performed in the ancient language of the grabar, the priest preaches the sermon in the modern Armenian language. Armenians are baptized from left to right. A priest can become a priest only.

Church and State

In accordance with the Constitution, Armenia is a secular state. A specific legislative act, which determines that Christianity is the state religion of Armenia, does not exist. However, the spiritual and moral life of society is not conceivable without the participation of the Church. Thus, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan considers the interaction of the state and the church to be vitally important. In his speeches, he declares the need to preserve the relationship between secular and spiritual power both at the present historical stage and in the future.

The Armenian legislation establishes certain restrictions on the freedom of activity of other religious denominations, thereby showing which religion in Armenia is dominant. The Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Freedom of Conscience", adopted in 1991, regulates the position of the Apostolic Church as a national religious association.

Other religions

The spiritual image of society is formed not only by orthodox religion. Armenia is home to 36 congregations of the Armenian Catholic Church community, called "francs". The Franks appeared in the 12th century together with the Crusaders. Under the influence of the Jesuit preaching, a small Armenian community recognized the jurisdiction of the Vatican. Over time, supported by the missionaries of the Order, they united in the Armenian Catholic Church. The residence of the patriarch is in Beirut.

The few communities of Kurds, Azerbaijanis and Persians living in Armenia profess Islam. In Yerevan itself, in 1766, the famous Blue Mosque was built .