The Armenian Church: Apostolic, Catholic, Evangelical

The Armenian Church: Apostolic, Catholic, Evangelical 

Vahe H Apelian

I have no recollection of the Armenian Apostolic Church take such a decisive stand against the Armenian state in recent Armenian history. If there has been instances the Armenian Apostolic Church has assumed such role against the Armenian state, it would be interesting and educational to learn. 

We all know that Armenia is the first state to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD. We all know that that came about by the initiative of the state itself, King Drtad. Thus, the State and the Church relationship in Armenia is intimate, although it has gone through difficult times as each has attempted to carve its role.  The earliest historical event of each asserting its role in the Armenian nation appears to be relationship of the Armenian young king Bab and Catholicos Nerses the Great, who was a blue blood no less as the great-grandson of the St. Gregory the Illuminator. Let us be mindful that the immediate post St. Gregory Catholicosate seat was hereditary

 But it appeared that at crucial moments in the tortuous Armenian history both, the church and the state, had worked side by side to assure the rights of the Armenian people. In making that statement I have the Battle of Avarayr in mind in 451 and the Battle of Sardarabad in May, 1918. 

But mindsets appear to have changed. Obviously, I am referring to the Archbishop Pakrad leading the “Tavush for Homeland” movement against the state. The movement has the backing of the Apostolic Church. The argument that the Apostolic Church is backing the Archbishop Pakrad led movement for the sake of the nation is a false narrative simply because the government of Armenia is no less the choice of the citizens of Armenia, hallmark of any democracy. Nowhere else I know, the essence that relationship is better expressed than in the beautifully  wording in the 1776  United States Declaration of Independence  written by a Founding Father Thomas Jefferson,  stating that  “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...”. 

The State and the Church relationship is a very complex matter and is not a subject that can be adequately dwelt in a blog, such as the one I am blogging now. But I want to state the following before going over the state and church relationship in the third Armenian republic that came about on September 21, 1991. Archbishop Pakrad wearing a while garment claiming that the tricolor won over the  “black and white” Armenians who ostensibly are tearing the nation apart, in fact re-enforced that very notion. I want to state here that in Armenia “black and. While “Armenians designation is not racial but is a  covert designation  for “good” and “bad” citizenship..

Archbishop Pagrat claiming that the tricolor defeated the “black and while” while wearing a while garment, in fact reinformed that very division because he chose to wear while garment instead of the accepted black garment for the Armenian Apostolic clergy. . It will hard for me, from now looking at black garmented clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and not make a mental connection to what Archbishop Parkrad symbolized in this movement, that there are clergy who wear a “white” while others wear “black” garment. 

But I do not think Armenians are inclined to have a theocracy in Armenia. That is to say a government that is accountable to God. Surely, the state and the church relationship in Armenia is driven by its Constitution, Armenia first adopted in 1995 and amended it in 2005 and then in 2015. 

Article 8.1 of the first Constitution defines the Armenian state and Armenian church relationship as follows and pretty much words it the same in the next two amendments. It reads:

“The Church is separate from the State in the Republic of Armenia.

The Republic of Armenia recognizes the exclusive mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, as a national church, in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity.

Freedom of activity of all religious organizations functioning as prescribed by law shall be guaranteed in the Republic of Armenia.

The relations of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church may be regulated by law.”

As I stated, the wording is pretty much is kept the same in the 2005 and in the 2015 amended Constitutions, recognizing the special status of the Armenian Apostolic Church. That recognition is not only moral but it has earthly implications. Much like in the U.S., education in Armenia, at least up to high school is state subsedized. Naturally I imagine that there are private pay high schools that need to meet the state mandated education requirement where the Armenian Apostolic Church is granted a special status in charting church related education

In his May 7, 2024 press conference the PM Nikol Pachinyan recognized the special national values of the citizens of the ROA. For the very first time I heard from the occupant of the highest office in Armenia, recognize he Armenian Catholic Church and the. Armenian Evangelical Church among the national values of the people of Republic of Armenia.

It is time to amend the Constitution of Armenia. I believe that the Constitution should spell that the state recognizes the special status of the Christian Faith in Armenia and along with the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, make reference to the Armenian Catholic and to the Armenian Evangelical churches.