How does the Armenian Church differ from the Orthodox. What is the difference between the Armenian and Georgian churches from the Russian

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Most historians believe that the Armenians officially became Christians in 314, and this is the latest date of the supposed. Numerous followers of the new faith appeared here long before the proclamation of the Armenian Church as a state institution.

The faith of the Armenian people is considered to be the first apostolic, that is, received directly from the disciples of Christ. Despite dogmatic differences, the Russian and Armenian churches maintain friendly relations, especially in matters of studying the history of Christianity.

Before the adoption of Christianity, paganism reigned in the ancient state on the banks of Sevan, leaving meager monuments in the form of stone sculptures and echoes in folk customs. According to legend, the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew laid the foundation for the destruction of pagan temples and the establishment of Christian churches in their places. In the history of the Armenian Church, one can single out the following milestones:

I century: the sermon of the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, which determined the name of the future Church - Apostolic.
Mid-2nd century: Tertullian's mention of "a large number of Christians" in Armenia.
314 (according to some sources - 301) - the martyrdom of the holy virgins Hripsime, Gaiania and others who suffered on Armenian soil. The adoption of Christianity by the king of Armenia Trdat III under the influence of his servant Gregory, the future saint Illuminator of Armenia. The construction of the first temple of Etchmiadzin and the establishment of the patriarchal throne in it.
405: Creation of the Armenian alphabet for the purpose of translating Holy Scripture and liturgical books.
451: Battle of Avarayr (war with Persia against the imposition of Zoroastrianism); Council of Chalcedon in Byzantium against the heresy of the Monophysites.
484 - removal of the patriarchal throne from Etchmiadzin.
518 - division with Byzantium in matters of religion.
XII century: attempts to reunite with Byzantine Orthodoxy.
XII - XIV centuries - attempts to accept the union - to unite with the Catholic Church.
1361 removal of all Latin innovations.
1441 - return of the patriarchal throne to Etchmiadzin.
1740 - detachment of the Syrian community of Armenians, whose religion became Catholicism. The Armenian Catholic Church has spread in Western Europe, there are parishes in Russia.
1828 - the entry of Eastern Armenia into the Russian Empire, the new name is the "Armenian-Gregorian Church", a branch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which remained on the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
1915 - extermination of Armenians in Turkey.
1922 - beginning of repressions and anti-religious movement in Soviet Armenia.
1945 - the election of a new Catholicos and the gradual revival of church life.

At present, despite the friendly relations between the Orthodox and Armenian churches, there is no Eucharistic communion. This means that their priests and bishops cannot serve the liturgy together, and the laity cannot be baptized and receive communion. The reason for this is differences in creed or dogma.

Ordinary believers who are not students of theology may not be aware of these barriers or may not consider them important. For them, ritual differences are more important, the cause of which is history and national customs.

In the III-IV centuries, disputes about faith were as popular as political battles are now. To resolve dogmatic issues, Ecumenical Councils were convened, the provisions of which formed the modern Orthodox dogma.

One of the main topics of discussion was the nature of Jesus Christ, who He was, God or man? Why does the Bible describe His suffering, which should not be part of the divine nature? For Armenians and Byzantines, the authority of the Holy Fathers of the Church (Gregory the Theologian, Athanasius the Great, etc.) was indisputable, but the understanding of their teachings turned out to be different.

The Armenians, among other Monophysites, believed that Christ is God, and the flesh in which He dwelt on earth was not human, but divine. Therefore, Christ could not experience human feelings and did not even feel pain. His sufferings under torture and on the cross were symbolic, apparent.

The teaching of the Monophysites was analyzed and condemned at the I.V. Ecumenical Council, where the doctrine of the two natures of Christ - divine and human - was adopted. This meant that Christ, while remaining God, took on a real human body at birth and experienced not only hunger, thirst, suffering, but also the mental anguish inherent in man.

When the Ecumenical Council was held in Chalcedon (Byzantium), the Armenian bishops could not take part in the discussions. Armenia was in a bloody war with Persia and on the verge of destroying statehood. As a result, the decisions of the Chalcedon and all subsequent Councils were not accepted by the Armenians, and their centuries-old separation from Orthodoxy began.

The dogma about the nature of Christ is the main difference between the Armenian Church and the Orthodox. Currently, theological dialogues are being held between the ROC and the AAC (Armenian Apostolic Church). Representatives of the learned clergy and church historians are discussing what contradictions arose due to a misunderstanding and can be overcome. Perhaps this will lead to the restoration of full communion between confessions.

Both Churches also differ in their external, ceremonial side, which is not a significant obstacle to the communion of believers. The most notable features are:

There are other features in worship, the vestments of clergy and church life.

Renegation of Armenians

Armenians who wish to convert to Orthodoxy will not have to be baptized again. The rite of accession is performed over them, where a public renunciation of the teachings of the Monophysite heretics is supposed. Only after this, a Christian from the AAC can proceed to the Orthodox Sacraments.

There are no strict regulations in the Armenian Church regarding the admission of the Orthodox to the Sacraments; Armenians are also allowed to take communion in any of the Christian churches.

Hierarchical arrangement

The head of the Armenian Church is the Catholicos. The name of this title comes from the Greek word καθολικός - "universal". The Catholicos leads all local churches, standing above their patriarchs. The main throne is located in Etchmiadzin (Armenia). Currently, the Catholicos is Karekin II, the 132nd head of the church after St. Gregory the Illuminator. Below the Catholicos are the following sacred degrees:

The Armenian diaspora in the world has about 7 million people. All these people are held together by folk traditions associated with religion. In places of permanent residence, Armenians try to erect a temple or a chapel, where they gather for prayer and holidays. In Russia, churches with characteristic ancient architecture can be found on the Black Sea coast, in Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Moscow and other large cities. Many of them are named in honor of the Great Martyr George - the beloved saint of the entire Christian Caucasus.

The Armenian Church in Moscow is represented by two beautiful churches: the Resurrection and the Transfiguration. Transfiguration Cathedral- cathedral, i.e. the bishop constantly serves in it. Nearby is his residence. Here is the center of the Novo-Nakhichevan diocese, which includes all the former republics of the USSR except the Caucasian ones. The Church of the Resurrection is located at the national cemetery.

In each of the temples you can see khachkars - stone arrows made of red tuff, decorated with fine carvings. This expensive work is performed by special masters in memory of someone. The stone is delivered from Armenia as a symbol of the historical homeland, reminding every Armenian in the Diaspora of his sacred roots.

The oldest diocese of the AAC is located in Jerusalem. Here it is headed by the patriarch, who has a residence at the church of St. James. According to legend, the temple was built on the site of the execution of the Apostle James, nearby was the house of the Jewish high priest Anna, in front of whom Christ was tortured.

In addition to these shrines, the Armenians also keep the main treasure - the third part of Golgotha granted by Constantine the Great (in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ). This property entitles the Armenian representative along with the Jerusalem Patriarch to participate in the ceremony of the Holy Light (Holy Fire). In Jerusalem, a service is performed daily over the Tomb of the Mother of God, which belongs in equal shares to Armenians and Greeks.

The events of church life are covered by the Shagakat TV channel in Armenia, as well as the English and Armenian-language Armenian Church YouTube channel. Patriarch Kirill with the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church regularly take part in the celebrations of the AAC, connected with the centuries-old friendship of the Russian and Armenian peoples.

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

What is the official religion in Armenia

More than 95% of the three million population of the country 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-Chalcedonian communities. The established theological definition does not give an exhaustive answer to the question of what religion is in Armenia.

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

The first Christian state in the world

A whole decade before the adoption of the Edict of Milan by the Great, in 301, Tsar Trdat III broke off relations with paganism and proclaimed Christianity 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 king of Armenia, which was part of the Roman province of Cappadocia. In 287, he, through mediation, returns to his homeland and takes the throne. Being a pagan, Trdat is taken to zealously fulfill the command, while at the same time starting the persecution of Christians. The cruel execution of 40 Christian girls makes a sharp turn in the fate of the king and his subjects.

Great educator of the Armenian people

The baptism of an entire nation took place thanks to the educational work of St. Gregory. He was a descendant of the noble Arksaid family. For the confession of faith, Gregory endured many torments. Through the prayers of Saint Trdat, he was punished with mental illness for torturing Christian women. Gregory forced the tyrant to repent. After that, the king was healed. Having believed 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 churches and schools for preachers. In the capital of Tsar Trdat III, by revelation from above, the saint founded a temple, later called Etchmiadzin. 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 promote Zoroastrianism. Pro-Persian landowners contributed a lot to this. From 337 to 345, Shapur II, having executed tens of thousands of Christians in Persia itself, made a series of devastating campaigns in Transcaucasia.

Shahinshah Yazdegerd II, wishing to strengthen his position in Transcaucasia, sent an ultimatum in 448. The Council of the Clergy and Laity gathered in Artashat answered that the Armenians recognize the secular power of the Persian ruler, but religion must remain inviolable. By this resolution, Armenia rejected the proposal to adopt an alien faith. The uprising began. In 451, the largest battle in the history of the country took place on the Avarayr field. 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 the Armenians were allowed to freely practice Christianity.

Administrative structure of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Until 451, the Armenian Apostolic Church represented one of the local communities of the one Christian Church. However, as a result of an incorrect assessment of the decisions of the fourth, a misunderstanding arose. In 506, the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine one, which significantly influenced the history of the state, its political and social activities.

The main religion of Armenia is practiced on five continents by more than 9 million believers. The spiritual head is the Patriarch-Kathalikos, whose title means that he is the spiritual leader of the Nation both in Armenia itself and Armenians in dispersion around the world.

The residence of the Armenian Patriarch since 1441 has been located in the jurisdiction of the Catholicos there are dioceses in all CIS countries, as well as in Europe, Iran, Egypt, North and Australia and Oceania, vicariates in India and the Far East. In the canonical plan, the Armenian patriarchs in Istanbul (Constantinople), Jerusalem and the Great House of Cilicia (the modern city of Kozan in Turkey) are subordinate to the Etchmiadzin Catholicosate.

Features of the Armenian Church

The Armenian Church is practically a mono-ethnic religious community: the vast majority of believers are Armenians. A small community of Udins in the north of Azerbaijan and several thousand Azerbaijani Tats belong to this denomination. For the bosha gypsies assimilated by the Armenians, wandering in the Transcaucasus and Syria, this is also their native religion. Armenia retains the Gregorian chronology of the church calendar.

The liturgical features are as follows:

Bread for communion is used, as in the Catholic tradition, unleavened bread, and wine does not dissolve in water.
Liturgy is served exclusively on Sundays and on special occasions.
The sacrament of unction is performed only on clergy, and immediately after death.

Divine services in Armenian churches are performed in the ancient language of Grabar, the priest delivers a sermon in modern Armenian. Armenians are baptized from left to right. Only the son of a priest can become a priest.

Church and State

According to the Constitution, Armenia is a secular state. There is no specific legislative act that determines that Christianity is the state religion of Armenia. However, the spiritual and moral life of society is not conceivable without the participation of the Church. Thus, Serzh Sargsyan considers the interaction between the state and the church to be vital. In his speeches, he declares the need to maintain relations between secular and spiritual authorities both at the present historical stage and in the future.

Armenian legislation establishes certain restrictions on the freedom of activity of other religious confessions, thereby showing which religion is dominant in Armenia. Adopted back in 1991, the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Freedom of Conscience” regulates the position of the Apostolic Church as a nationwide religious association.

Other religions

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

The small communities of Kurds, Azerbaijanis and Persians living in Armenia profess Islam. In Yerevan itself, in 1766, the famous

Many people from school know about the split of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, as this is included in the course of history. From it we know about some of the differences between these churches, the prerequisites that led to the division, and the consequences of this division. But few people know what are the features of many other types of Christianity, which, for various reasons, separated from the two main currents. One of the churches that are close in spirit to the Orthodox, but at the same time, are completely separate, is the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Orthodox Church is the second largest branch of Christianity after Catholicism. Despite the frequent misconception, the split of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, although it has been brewing since the 5th century A.D. e., occurred only in 1054.

The unofficial division of spheres of influence led to the emergence of two large regions of Europe, which, due to religious differences, took different paths of development. The Balkans and Eastern Europe, including Russia, fell into the sphere of influence of the Orthodox Church.

The Armenian Apostolic Church arose much earlier than the Orthodox. So, already in the year 41, it acquired some autonomy (an autocephalous Armenian church), and officially separated in 372 due to the rejection of the Chalcedon Ecumenical Council. Notably, this schism was the first major division in Christianity.

As a result of the Chalcedon Cathedral, four more churches stood out along with the Armenian one. Five of these churches are geographically located in Asia and northeast Africa. Subsequently, during the spread of Islam, these churches were isolated from the rest of the Christian world, which led to even greater differences between them and the Chalcedonian churches (Orthodoxy and Catholicism).

An interesting fact is that the Armenian Apostolic Church became the state religion as early as 301, that is, it is the first official state religion in the world.

Common features

Despite such an early separation from the united Christian movement, there has always been a cultural exchange between the Armenian and Orthodox churches. This is due to the fact that the partial isolation of Armenia during the spread of Islam separated it from a significant part of the Christian world. The only "window to Europe" remained through Georgia, which by that time had already become an Orthodox state.

Thanks to this, one can find some common features in the vestments of clergymen, the arrangement of temples, and in some cases architecture.

Difference

Nevertheless, it makes no sense to talk about the relationship between the Orthodox and Armenian churches. It is worth at least remembering the fact that the Orthodox Church in our time is very heterogeneous in its internal structure. So very authoritative, practically independent of the Ecumenical Patriarch (the formal head of the Orthodox Church), is the Russian Orthodox, Jerusalem, Antioch, Ukrainian churches.

The Armenian Apostolic Church is one, even despite the presence of the autocephalous Armenian Church, because it recognizes the patronage of the head of the Apostolic Church.

From here you can immediately move on to the question of the leadership of these two churches. So the head of the Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church is the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of all Armenians.

The presence of completely different titles for the heads of the church indicates that these are completely different institutions.

It is impossible not to note the difference in the traditional architecture of these two churches. Thus, Armenian cathedrals imagine the continuation and further development of the traditional oriental school of construction. This was largely influenced not only by cultural background, but also by climate and basic building materials. Armenian churches, which were built in the Middle Ages, as a rule, are squat and have thick walls (the reason for this was that they were often fortifications).

Although Orthodox churches are not an example of European culture, they look completely different from Armenian ones. They usually stretch upwards, their domes are traditionally gilded.

Ceremonies differ radically, as well as the time of holidays and fasts at these churches. So, the Armenian rite has a national language, sacred books. It accepts a different number of people than in the Orthodox. Remarkably, the latter still does not have such a connection with the people, which is primarily due to the language of worship.

Finally, the most important difference, which was the reason for the Chalcedonian schism. The Armenian Apostolic Church is of the opinion that Jesus Christ is one person, that is, he has a single nature. In the Orthodox tradition, it has a dual nature - it combines both God and man.

These differences are so significant that these churches considered each other as heretical teachings, and mutual anathemas were imposed. Positive changes were achieved only in 1993, when representatives of both churches signed an agreement.

Thus, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Orthodox Church have the same origins, and also differ to a lesser extent from each other than the Armenian from the Catholic or the Catholic from the Orthodox, in fact, they are different and completely independent spiritual institutions.

Description:

Armenian Apostolic Church(full name Armenian Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church) is one of the oldest Churches in the world, to which the vast majority of the inhabitants of the Republic of Armenia, the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as well as the majority of Armenians living in the diaspora in many countries of the world belong. Belongs to the family of the Ancient Eastern Pre-Chalcedonian Churches.

The dioceses and parishes of the Armenian Church are scattered across the five continents of the world and unite, according to various estimates, from 7 to 9 million believers.

The supreme body of the Armenian Church is the Church-National Council, which consists of clergy and secular persons. At the Council, the Supreme Spiritual Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church is elected, which is His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Supreme Spiritual Council under the Catholicos currently consists of 2 Patriarchs, 10 Archbishops, 4 Bishops and 5 Laity.

Spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church -.

The Armenian Apostolic Church unites two administratively independent Catholicosates - Etchmiadzin and Cilicia, and two Patriarchates - Jerusalem and Constantinople, which do not have subordinate sees and are spiritually dependent on the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of all Armenians.

The Catholicoses of the Armenian Church have the exclusive right to consecrate the holy myrrh (the celebration of chrism takes place once every seven years) and to ordain bishops. Episcopal ordination is performed by the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of All Armenians or the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, co-served by two bishops. A bishop elevated to the rank of Catholicos is anointed by several (from 3 to 12) bishops. The competence of the Catholicoses includes the blessing of new church laws, the establishment of new holidays, the establishment of new dioceses and other issues of church administration.

Echmiadzin Catholicosate

There are dioceses in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Azerbaijan (currently not replaced), Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Greece, Romania, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Armenian communities in Western Europe, Africa and India, under the jurisdiction of the See of Etchmiadzin.

Cilician Catholicosate

The throne of the Most Holy Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia (since 1995 - Aram I Keshishian) is located in the city of Antillas near Beirut (Lebanon). It has jurisdiction over dioceses in Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and a vicariate in Kuwait.

Jerusalem Patriarchate

Under the leadership of His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem, Primate of the Apostolic See St. James (since 1990 - Torkom II Manukyan), there are Armenian communities in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. The Patriarch takes care of the holy places belonging to the Armenian Church in Palestine. In his submission are 2 vicariates (Amman and Haifa) and 2 rectors (Jaffa and Ramla).

Patriarchate of Constantinople

The role of the Throne of Constantinople significantly decreased after the genocide of 1915. Today, the flock of the Patriarchate of Constantinople consists of several tens of thousands of Armenians living in Turkey. Under the control of His Beatitude the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and all Turkey is the Patriarchal region - Turkey, which also includes vicariates: Rumelihisary, Kayseri, Diyarbakir, Iskenderun. There are more than 30 churches.

In connection with the illness of the Patriarch of Constantinople (since 1998 - Mesrob II Mutafyan), his duties are performed by Archbishop Aram Ateshyan.

The main shrines of the Armenian Church are kept in Etchmiadzin:

The holy spear (Geghard), which pierced the rib of Jesus Christ, according to legend, was brought to Armenia by the Apostle Thaddeus;
The right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator is a symbol of the power of the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of all Armenians. During the chrismation, the Catholicos consecrates the chrism with the Holy Spear and Hand of St. Gregory;
a particle of the tree of Noah's ark, which stopped "on the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:4) - was found at the beginning of the 4th century. Bishop Jacob of Nisibinsk.

Divine services of the Armenian Church are conducted in the ancient Armenian language (grabar). On January 1, 1924, a transition to a new calendar style took place, however, the dioceses within Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, as well as the Jerusalem Patriarchate, continue to use the old style (Julian calendar).

Among the features of the Armenian worship and church calendar:

On January 6, the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated, uniting the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany;
in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, unleavened bread and undiluted wine are used;
when singing the Trisagion, after the words “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal”, the words “Crucify us” or others are added;
Armenians are baptized with three fingers, touching their foreheads, below the chest, on the left, and then on the right side of the chest, and at the end they put their palm on the chest;
the so-called Advanced Lent (Arajavorats) is celebrated, coming three weeks before Lent;
on the days of major holidays, animals are sacrificed (matah), which has a charitable character.

More about the Armenian Apostolic Church (articles from the "Orthodox Encyclopedia"):

Website: http://www.armenianchurch.org/ Subsidiary organization: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Primate:

The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yezidism and Frengi. Most of the inhabitants of Armenia are believers. It is believed that the most common religion is Christianity.

Christianity in Armenia

About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This one is one of the oldest in the world. Few people know that Armenia is the first Christian state in the world: in 301, faith in the King of Heaven and his son Christ became the state religion of the country. Bartholomew and Thaddeus are considered the first preachers here.

In 404, the Armenian alphabet was created, and in the same year the Bible was translated into Armenian, and in 506 the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine one, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.

Catholicism in Armenia

But Christianity is not the only one whose adherents live in Armenia. There are Armenian Catholic (there are about 36 parishes in total), which are called "Franks". Franks (or frengs) live in Northern Armenia. Initially, they appeared along with the crusaders, but later, in the 16-19 centuries, they began to be called Franks -. Armenian-Franks are divided into three groups:
- hbo francs,
- hash francs,
- Mshetsi Franks.

The division of Catholics is not associated with the peculiarities of religious beliefs, it is associated with the place of residence of adherents of this faith.

Islam in Armenia

Now in Yerevan, in the Mashtots Depository of Ancient Manuscripts, more than 20 thousand handwritten texts are stored, which Mashtots himself began to collect. This collection of manuscripts is of great historical and cultural value for the peoples of the whole world.

Spread of the Armenian Church

In the Promised Land, that is, on the territory of modern Israel, more than seventy Armenian churches were built already from the sixth century, and in 638 the Armenian Patriarchate was founded, which united and became the head of all Eastern Orthodox dioceses. These are the Ethiopian, Syrian and Coptic dioceses.

For almost two thousand years, a miracle has been happening every year - the descent of the Holy Fire, which takes place on the eve of Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. From among the bishops of the Armenian-Gregorian Holy Apostolic Church, a clergyman is annually elected who will be entrusted with receiving the Holy Fire.