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Armenian Oriental Orthodox church
The
Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
(
Armenian
:
??????????????? ????? ???? ???? ????????
) is an
autocephalous
Oriental Orthodox
church.
[2]
Since 1930, the
Catholicosate
of the Great House of Cilicia has been headquartered in
Antelias
,
Lebanon
.
Aram I
is the Catholicos of
Cilicia
since 1995.
Great House of Cilicia eras
[
edit
]
- First
Sis
era, 267-301: According to the order of Catholicoi, *
St. Gregory I the Enlightener
(also known as Gregory the Illuminator) was seated in Sis 267-301 before moving to
Etchmiadzin
in 301 where he continued in office until 325.
- In 485 AD, the Catholicosate was transferred to the new capital of Armenia
Dvin
. In the 10th century it moved from Dvin to
Dzoravank
and then to
Aghtamar
(927 AD), to Arghina (947 AD) and to
Ani
(992 AD)
- Sivas era, 1058?1062
- Tavbloor era, 1062?1066
- Dzamendav (Zamidia, now Zamantı) era, 1066?1116
- Dzovk (Present aka Island of Golcuk and under the lake of Hazar), era, 1116?1149
- Hromgla (now Halfeti) era, 1149?1293
- Second Sis era, 1293-1930 (with the Catholicosate of All Armenians returned to
Etchmiadzin
in 1441)
- Antelias, Lebanon era, since 1930 - having transferred there from
Sis
in
Cilicia
in the aftermath of the
Armenian genocide
.
Early history of the Armenian Church
[
edit
]
The origin of the Armenian Church dates back to the Apostolic age and according to the ancient tradition was established by
St. Thaddeus
and
St. Bartholomew
. In 301 AD, Christianity was officially accepted by the Armenians as the state religion.
[3]
Catholicosate in Sis (1293?1930)
[
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]
The city of Sis (modern-day
Kozan, Adana
, Turkey) was the center of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia for more than six centuries, starting in 1293 when the Catholicosate moved from
Hromgla
to Sis. The monastery of St. Sophia of Sis, home of the Catholicosate, dominates the town in early 20th-century photographs.
During the
Armenian genocide
, in 1915, the Armenian population in Cilicia was mostly destroyed.
[4]
Two Catholicosates starting in 1441 AD
[
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]
In 1441, a new Catholicos of All Armenians was elected in
Holy Etchmiadzin
in the person of Kirakos I Virapetsi of Armenia. At the same time the retiring Catholicos in Sis
Gregory IX Mousabegian
(1439?1446) remained as the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Therefore, since 1441, there have been two Catholicosates in the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Catholicos of All Armenians resides in the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
.
Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon (1930?present)
[
edit
]
The chair of the Armenian Catholicosate in Sis (today Kozan)
In 1922 the
American Committee for Relief in the Near East
established an orphanage in Antilias for survivors of the genocide. It continued operating until 1928. After the foundation's Executive Committee was petitioned in 1929 by Sahak II, in 1930 the now-vacant buildings of the orphanage were leased to the Cilicia Catholicosate for a period of five years to be used as a seat for the Catholicosate and a seminary for training priests and teachers. The foundation also agreed to contribute $6000-$7000 yearly towards running costs.
[5]
Publications
[
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]
Hask
[
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]
The Catholicossate has its own publishing house and has a number of publications, most notably the monthly "Hask" (in
Armenian
????), the official organ of the Holy See of Cilicia.
Hask Armenological Review
[
edit
]
It also publishes the annual "Hask Armenological Review" (in
Armenian
???? ??????????? ??????) on
Armenian studies
Dioceses of the Holy See of Cilicia
[
edit
]
Current Dioceses
[
edit
]
Source:
[6]
- Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon
, based in
Beirut
- Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo
, based in
Aleppo
- Armenian Prelacy of Jezireh
[
hy
]
, based in
Qamishli
- Armenian Prelacy of Isfahan
, based in
New Julfa
- Armenian Prelacy of Atrpatakan
, in
Tabriz
- Armenian Prelacy of Tehran
[
hy
]
, based in
Tehran
(
Saint Sarkis Cathedral
)
- Armenian Prelacy of Kuwait & Neighboring Countries
[
hy
]
, based in
Kuwait City
- Armenian Prelacy of the
United Arab Emirates
&
Qatar
, based in
Abu Dhabi
- Armenian Prelacy of Cyprus
, based in
Nicosia
- Armenian Prelacy of Greece, based in
Athens
- Armenian Prelacy of Canada
, based in
Montreal
- Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern United States
[
hy
]
, based in
Manhattan, New York
- Armenian Prelacy of the Western United States
[
hy
]
, based in
Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles
- Armenian Prelacy of
Venezuela
, based in
Caracas
Former Dioceses as of 1915
[
edit
]
Source:
[7]
- Armenian Prelacy of Sis
[
hy
]
, based in
Kozan
- Armenian Prelacy of Adana
[
hy
]
, based in
Adana
- Armenian Prelacy of Hadjin, based in
Saimbeyli
- Armenian Prelacy of Payas, based in
Payas
- Armenian Prelacy of Germanik or Marash, based in
Kahramanmara?
- Armenian Prelacy of Ulnia or Zeytun
[
hy
]
, based in
Suleymanlı
- Armenian Prelacy of Firnouze, based in Fırnız
- Armenian Prelacy of Aintab
[
hy
]
, based in
Gaziantep
- Armenian Prelacy of Antiok, based in
Antakya
- Armenian Prelacy of Malatia
[
hy
]
, based in
Malatya
- Armenian Prelacy of Yozghat, based in
Yozgat
- Armenian Prelacy of Gyurin, based in
Gurun
- Armenian Prelacy of Tevrik, based in
Divri?i
- Armenian Prelacy of Daranda, based in
Darende
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Stopka, Krzysztof (2016).
Armenia Christiana: Armenian Religious Identity and the Churches of Constantinople and Rome (4th-15th century)
. Krakow: Jagiellonian University Press.
ISBN
9788323395553
.
External links
[
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]
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