Armenian Church

Form of Christianity adopted in Armenia in the 3rd century. The Catholicos, or exarch, is the supreme head, and Echmiadzin (near Yerevan) is his traditional seat. Believers number about 2 million.

About 295, Gregory the Illuminator (c. 257-332) was made first exarch of the Armenian Church, which has developed along national lines.

The Seven Sacraments (or Mysteries) are administered, and baptism is immediately followed by confirmation.

The Armenian Church isolated itself from the rest of Christendom in the 6th century, when it rejected the Council of Chalcedon and excommunicated all who accepted it. It became Monophysite, but its strongly national character led it to refuse communion even with the other Monophysites. It embraces the whole of the Armenian nation, and has spread with this enterprising people all over the world. It is the largest of the Christian churches of the East after the Orthodox. The Catholicos rules with an Armenian patriarch of Constantinople and a patriarch of Jerusalem under him. Bishops are chosen from the higher celibate clergy, known as Vartapads. The liturgy is more Latinized than any other East Christian rite.