The Arshakunis: Church and State Conflict, Etchmiadzin city-state - 7/7 -

Vahe H Apelian

 

Whenever Armenian Church and the Armenian State conflict was mentioned, a few historical happenings came to my mind. But recent developments in Armenia have made me look back when it all began.

After the Arshakunis founded the Armenian Church, the Arshakuni kingdom became marred with conflict between the church and the state that founded the church. After the death of King Trtad III (Tiridates) in 331, and for the ensuing approximately one-century - between 331 to 428, when the Arskakuni kingdom came to its end – the period was marked with, I quote: “an uncommon instability and indetermination, affecting both political and social life in Armenia. Continuous plots, intrigues, murders between antagonists (local and foreign), and the struggle about the newly adopted Christian faith marked tragically the situation throughout the main homeland.”

The relation between these two power institutions, the church and the state, was so intense that king Diran II (338-350) ordered the killing of Catholicos St. Husik I, the grandson of St. Gregory the Illuminator.  To bolster the foundation of the state, King Arshak II, who languished in prison in Persia, had founded a capital city for his kingdom and named it Arshakavan. The city so enraged Catholicos Nerses the Great, a descendent of St. Gregory, whom king Arshak II had presented for the throne in Etchmiadzin, that the Catholicos condemned the city so much so that the name Arshakavan for Armenians became and remained synonymous with the biblical twin cities Sodom and Gomorrah. The church and the state conflict became full blown with king Arshak’s son king Bab, who inherited the throne after his father’s death and changed the church as an institution. 

The following historical anecdote also comes to my mind. After moving to the monastery Varak in Van, Khrimian Hayrig had the remains of King Senekerim exhumed and banished somewhere. Khrimian Hayrig did not see that king Senekerim merited remaining buried on the grounds of the famed monastery in Van, because, I quote “ in 1021, fearing the Seljuks, Senekerim, the old king of Vaspurakan, bestowed Vaspurakan to Byzantium and moved to Sebastia.”

In recent times, the fate of Catholicos of All Armenians Khoren I Muradbekian (Armenian: Խորեն Ա Մուրադբեկյան; December 8, 1873 – April 5/6, 1938) represents the most troubling aspect of the Armenian church and the Armenian state conflict. It is generally accepted that Catholicos Khoren I Muradbekian was killed by the commissars of the Soviet Republic of Armenia. 

The Armenian church and the Armenian state conflict appears to be reignited. On June 13, 2024, the PM Nikol Pashinyan, before presenting to the National Assembly the annual budget, alluded to the confrontation that happened the day before, on June 12, between the police and the demonstrators led by Archbishop Pagrad. The PM named two persons who, he claimed, stood behind the protesters, the former president Robert Kocharian and the Catholicos of All Armenian Karekin II. The PM also invoked Arshakuni king Bab. It is beyond the scope of this blog to speculate on the possible reasons for the PM invoking king  Bab. 

But I would like to note that there is a major disconnect and imbalance between the two power houses that make up the structure of the Armenian nation. One of which is seated in Etchmiadzin and the other is seated in Yerevan. The power house seating in Yerevan, represents the Armenian state and is elected by the citizens of Armenia. But the power house seating in Etchmiadzin, represents the Armenian church and is elected by  Armenian representatives from all over the world. 

The head of the Armenian church need not be a citizen of Armenia, as was the case with His Holiness of blessed memory, Karekin I. Nor his electors need to be citizens of Armenia. But the head of the Armenian state has to be a citizen of Armenia and be elected by the citizens of Armenia.  In fairness and most likely in matters of the constitutionality and legality, the two different electoral systems present a huge and untenable imbalance and is a focal point for simmering conflict as the church can meddle in politics or in the affairs of the state, and does so. 

It probably is time for Armenia to designate Etchmiadzin what Vatican is, a state-city. Naturally, in case of the Armenian Etchmiadzin will be the city-state that oversees the Armenian Apostolic Church spread throughout the globe. And, much like any state, Etchmiadzin city-state will have a state level relationship with the state of Armenia as it does with other countries, much like Vatican in Rome does with State of Italy and other countries. 

Without such an arrangement, the Armenian Church and the Armenian State relations will be a sour point not only for the republic of Armenia, but also for the global Armenian nation, and the spiritual mission of the Apostolic Church will continue to be mired and viewed tinted with politics eroding its Christian mission and outreach to the detriment of the Republic of Armenia and to the global Armenian nation.

Notes:

1.   This ends my take on the Arshakuni Armenian dynastic kingdom that impacted in the shaping of the Armenian nation. After all the members of the Arshakuni dynastic family transitioned the Armenian nation from worshipping the old gods to embracing Christianity. It has a legendary king, Arshak II, after whom a legend has come down and an opera is named. The young Arshakuni King Bab, shaped the newly established church and state relation and is reverberated to this day. If those were not enough, a young monk by the name of Mesrob Mashdots invented the Armenian alphabet during the last king of their dynastic kingdom, king Vramshabouh. It is no wonder that this dynastic family stirs the nation's imagination to this day. A Facebook account has been named after them.. Who were the Arshakunis? In seven installments I attempted to present them as a blogge,r not as a historian I am not.  N.B. I used Arshak as the root word when addressing the family and its members. Vahe H. Apelian  

2.   I would like to note that the schisms in the Armenian church started in the 18^th century. The Armenian Catholic Church came about on November 26, 1742, and the Armenian Evangelical Church came about on July 1, 1846. Before those dates all Armenians without exception belonged to the church Arshakuni King Drtad III and St. Gregory the Illuminator founded, which came to be known as the Armenian Church.  The designation Armenian Apostolic Church in distinction to the Armenian Catholic and the Armenian Evangelical Churches is relatively recent. It is within this context that I used the term Armenian Church.

The News music band

Recently Vartan Tashjian had posted  about The News music band noting that Teardrops may be their most popular song (see below). I have reproduced Boghos Shahmelikian’s recollection of the band and its members from his book I translated into English, edited by my cousin Jack Chelebian M.D., as “Dawn of Armenian Pop Music”. The book was published by Hrach Kalsahakian and is available on Amazon. 

 Vahe H Apelian

 

"Without a doubt, The News was the most popular music band among the youth in Lebanon. Mike Postian and Jean Taslakian from the The Lawyers music band teamed with Jack Tamoukian and Ara Hajian from The Monks music band and formed The News. From day one they left their jobs and made their living through music. Almost all the members of the other music bands in the country had their day jobs.

All the members of the band were talented singers notably Mike who had the most songs in their repertoire. They had their own songs as well, which were mostly composed by their solo guitarist Jeas Taslakian. They produced a dozen or so records of their own compositions. They traveled to France and signed a contract with Polydor Records to produce their records with the famous recording company’s label. They yad , however, set their minds to make their mark on the British music scene.

At the times England was considered the world capital of pop music.  Many of the famous bands and world-renowned recording studios were in England. The News moved to London and in a relatively short period of time earned and enviable reputation by performing in famous nightclubs. Their unique genre was well received by the youth in England. They sang in English lyrics with Armenian melodies and rhythm. Some of the traditional Armenian instruments along with electric guitar, percussion drums accompanied their songs. They thus established their own distinct style that became very popular. 

As a testament to their musical achievements, they succeeded in securing a contract with EMI Music, which is one of the world’s leading recording companies where some of the most famous bands produced their records.

They were at the pinnacle of their careers with many promising possibilities awaiting them when the unexpected happened, Ara’s father passed away and his family wanted him to return to Lebanon to take charge of the family’s business. In 1971 The News returned, Avo who played the drums with The Dreamers replaced Ara.

Instead of going back to England, they signed a lucrative contract and moved to Djibouti, Africa, intending to return to England afterwards to produce their records.  Other enticing contracts soon followed one after the other and they traveled to other countries where they performed. Unfortunately, they could not fulfill the promise that awaited them in England.

After marrying Jack stopped performing on stage and settled in Los Angeles. I met him at different occasions. One day I heard the sad news of his untimely death due to heart attack. Dear Jack, may you rest in peace.

The News continued to play as a trio to make a living. Years later Jean Taslakian, whose wife is French, moved to France where he resides. He has formed a band by the name Want, whose singer and guitarist is he. 

Avo is married to an English woman and has settled in England. He has given up playing music on stage. 

Mike Postian is settled in Los Angeles and sings as a solo singer He has a number of CDs in different languages. I have been a friend to all the band members, particularly Mike, with whom I often meet.

The News band was a musical phenomenon in its days. No other popular music band from Lebanon, arguably from the Middle East musted the appeal to the youth and achieved the recognition in western capitals and elsewhere as well as The News did. 

Many decades later Armenian lads from Los Angeles formed another hugely popular, internationally famous band named System of the Down. The Armenian community welcomed the band. Musical tastes had changed. The emerging music bands of the 1960’s had paved the way to bring about the change."

The Arshakunis: Founded the Armenian Church - 6/7 -

Vahe H Apelian

Courtesy Արշակունիններ Facebook account

The Arshakuni King Drtad III, not only had the Armenian nation adopt Christianity in 301 as its state religion but also established the Armenian Church. However it also planted the seeds of the Armenian State and the Armenian Church conflict. 

I would like to note that the schisms in Armenian church started in the 18th century. The Armenian Catholic Church came about on November 26, 1742, and the Armenian Evangelical Church came about on July 1, 1846. Before those dates all Armenians, without exception, belonged to the Armenian Apostolic Church which was known as the Armenian Church. The designation as Armenian Apostolic Church, in distinction to the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Armenian churches, is relatively recent. It is within that context that I have titled my blog as the conflict between the Armenian State and the Armenian Church.

 Thirty and a few more years into the third (second?) republic, Armenia is brewing with state and church conflict. A few days ago, on June 13, 2024, before embarking on his final presentation in the National Assembly about the 2023 annual state budget implementation, the PM addressed the confrontation that happened the day before, on June 12, between the police and the demonstrators who were pressing to enter, if not storm, the government building where the government was in session. In his address he named two persons who, he claimed, stood behind the protesters, the former president Robert Kocharian and the Catholicos of All Armenian Karekin II. I wonder if such an outright naming an Armenian bishop leading the conflict with the Armenian state had happened before.

But the Armenian State and the Armenian Church conflict is not something new. Save through the centuries when there was no Armenian state and the Armenian church was de facto acting as the state, there was no reason for church and state conflict, which started almost right after the Arshakuni king Drtad III, had Armenians convert to Christianity. In my previous blog, I had highlighted on the matter of the national conversion to Christianity and noted that, there appeared to be more to the conversion than just embracing the new faith for the new faith’s sake. Those interested may read the blog I linked below.

It is interesting to note that it is claimed that the coat-of-Arms of the Arshakunis was the eagle and that after converting to Christianity, the dynasty still kept the eagle as their coat-of-arms, but had the eagle depicted with two heads (see the picture above). It is not far-fetched to imagine that not all embraced the conversion and that many, among the nobility and the laity, may have very well fiercely reject it.  We should bear in mind that some of the Arshakunis themselves and some among nobles of the court, were also Zoroastrian priests, including King Arshak I who had the Roman temple built at Garni that stands to this day and is one of the must-see touristic sites. It is said that some of the rituals of the Armenian Church service and the pageantry of the mass may have their roots in Zoroastrian worship services. 

It can be argued that the Arshakounis adopted the eagle with two heads to placate the old believers who may have converted to Christianity but had not given up on zoroastratism altogether. 

We should bear in mind that with the establishment of the Armenian Church in 301, there came about a hereditary ecclesiastical dynasty. The firs person who occupied the spiritual throne, Gregory the Illuminator was a true princely blue blood himself.  

Who was Gregory the Illuminator?

I post the following from Wikipedia:

““Gregory the Illuminator[a] (Classical Armenian: Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed spelling: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, Grigor Lusavorich;[b] c. 257 – c. 328) is said to have been the son of a Parthian nobleman, Anak who assassinated the Arsacid king of Armenia Khosrov II (Note: The father of Drtad III). The young Gregory was saved from the extermination of Anak's family and was raised as a Christian in Caesarea of Cappadocia. Gregory returned to Armenia as an adult and entered the service of King Tiridates III, who had Gregory tortured after he refused to make a sacrifice to a pagan goddess. After discovering Gregory's true identity, Tiridates had him thrown into a deep pit well called Khor Virap for 14 years. Gregory was miraculously saved from death and released after many years with the help of Tiridates' sister Khosrovidukht. Gregory then converted the King to Christianity, and Armenia then became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD. Gregory, the Illuminator, then healed King Tiridates, who the hagiographical sources say had been transformed into a boar for his sins, and preached Christianity in Armenia. He was consecrated bishop of Armenia at Caesarea, baptized King Tiridates and the Armenian people, and traveled throughout Armenia, destroying pagan temples and building churches in their place.”

In a master stroke, King Drtad III may have taken the power of the Zoroasterian order, but in its place, he established a Christian spiritual ecclesiastical dynasty, a power base nonetheless. The throne of the Catholicos in Etchmiadzin remained the property of the descendants of Gregory the Illuminator until the year 438, when the Artshakuni dynasty came to its end as well. St.Gregory’s last descendant to occupy the throne was Catholicos Sahag Bartev, who with the young monk Mesrob Mashdots is credited to come with the Armenian alphabet. Catholicos Sahak Bartev, passed away on September 7, 439. With his death the line of St. Gregory the Illuminator occupying the throne at Etchmiadzin came to an end. Catholicos St. Sahag Bartev had a daughter named Sahaganush and three grandsons, her sons. One whom became the most famous general in the Armenian history, Vartan Mamikonian.

The occupants of the ecclesiastical throne in Etchmiadzin, Gregory the Illuminator and his descendants, did not have the military resources of the state. But they commanded no less an effective resource, their spiritual reach and gave legitimacy to the Armenian king by baptizing him. 

 The Arshakunis thus not only founded the Armenian Church but also planted the seeds of a possible conflict between the Armenian secular state and the Armenian Christian church, which was bound to erupt and it did. 

To be continued.

***

Link:

The Arshakunis - The pagan dynasty who embraced Christianity.

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-arshakunis-pagan-dynasty-who.html

  

"There Will Come Soft Rains" – «Մեղմ անձրեւներ պիտի տեղան»

Ara Mekhsian had posted on his Facebook page today a poem and his Armenian translation of the poem. Both, the poem and its translation were superb, indeed. I guess we think highly of ourselves as mankind, when neither birds nor trees, would even say good riddance to us for they would "scarcely know that we were gone."

I will admit that I had not known of the poetess Sara Teasdale (1884-1933), to have read that poem before.

Quoting Wikipedia: “Sara Trevor Teasdale was an American lyric poet. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and used the name Filsinger after her 1914 marriage. In 1918, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her 1917 poetry collection Love Songs. In 1933, in frail health after a recent bout of pneumonia, she took her own life with an overdose of barbiturates. Her last and perhaps finest collection of verse, Strange Victory, was published later that year. Her Collected Poems appeared in 1937. Teasdale wrote seven books of poetry in her lifetime and received public admiration for her well-crafted lyrical poetry which centered on a woman's changing perspectives on beauty, love, and death.”

As to the poem, I quote: “There Will Come Soft Rains" is a lyric poem by Sara Teasdale published just after the start of the 1918 German Spring Offensive during World War I, and during the 1918 flu pandemic about nature's establishment of a new peaceful order that will be indifferent to the outcome of the war or mankind's extinction.”

Attached is the poem and Ara Mekhsian’s superb Armenian translation.

There Will Come Soft Rains

Sara Teasdale, 1884 - 1933

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, 

And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; 

And frogs in the pools singing at night, 

And wild plum trees in tremulous white, 

Robins will wear their feathery fire 

Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; 

And not one will know of the war, not one 

Will care at last when it is done. 

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree 

If mankind perished utterly; 

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, 

Would scarcely know that we were gone.

 

Մեղմ անձրեւներ պիտի տեղան

Սառա Թիզտէյլ, Ամերիկացի բանաստեղծ

(թարգմանութիւն)

Մեղմ անձրեւներ պիտի տեղան եւ յարուցեն բոյրը հողին,

Կռինչներով մեղկ, մարմրուն՝ ծիծեռներ պիտի սաւառնին, 

Գորտեր պիտի գիշերերգեն ջուրերուն մէջ ջրշեղջերուն,

Սալորենիներ անմշակ՝ ճերմակազգեստ ու սրսփուն,

Շիկահաւեր՝ հրափետուր պատմուճան հագած՝

Պիտի սուլեն քմայքն իրենց՝ ցանկորմին թառած:

Ոչ մէկը պիտի իմանայ, որ մարդիկ ելեր են մարտի,

Մէկն իսկ պիտի չնշմարէ, երբ պատերազմը աւարտի,

Ոչինչ պիտի մտահոգէ թռչնազգի եւ ծառ՝ 

Եթէ ջնջուի անմնացորդ՝ մարդկութիւնն ի սպառ.

Եւ գարունն իսկ, երբ արթննայ վաղ այգաբացին,

Հազիւ թէ միտքէն անցընէ, թէ մենք ո´ւր գացինք:

Sara Teasdale, 1884 - 1933

 

 

You may not know: Things you may not know about Armenians of Lebanon – 2/2 -

I have compiled a list of random facts about Armenians of Lebanon. Vahe H Apelian

 

Top: Haigazian University. 
Low L to R: Armenian Catholic, Apostolic, Evangelical churches/cathedrals.

1.     Armenians first established contact with Lebanon when Tigranes the Great conquered Phoenicia and made it part of its short-lived Armenian Empire.

2.        The Catholic Armenians who fled to Lebanon in the declining years of the 17^th century may be credited with establishing the first enduring Armenian community in Lebanon.

3.    The Armenian Catholic monastery in Bzoummar, Lebanon, built in 1749, is acknowledged as the oldest extant Armenian monastery in Lebanon and serves as the patriarchal see for the entire Armenian Catholic Church.

4.  Lebanon Is the location of the only Armenian university outside Armenia. Haigazian University was established in Beirut by the Armenian Missionary Association of America and the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East. It was founded on October `17,  1955, Haigazian is a liberal arts Armenian institution of higher learning, which uses English as the language of instruction.

5.    Haigazian University produced the 1^st rockets in the Arab world in 1960.

6.        Lebanon Is the post Armenian Genocide seat of the historic Armenian Catholicosate of Sis / Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias.

7.        Lebanon Is made up of 17 religious denominations and the Armenian Apostolic denomination is considered the 7^th largest denomination in the country.

8.      Lebanon is the country where ethnic Armenian citizens occupy 7 seats of the 128 member Lebanese Parliament.

9.        Lebanon is where the Armenian Apostolic/Orthodox community has 5 seats in the Lebanese Parliament

10.    Lebanon is where Armenian Catholic community occupy 1 seat in the Lebanese parliament.

11.   Lebanon is where the ethnic Armenians and non-ethnic Armenian Evangelical occupy 1 seat in the Lebanese parliament. Dr. Antranig Manougian was the longest serving Armenian Evangelical/Protestant member of the Lebanese Parliament. He was followed by Nourijan Demirdjian.

12.    Lebanon has the only Armenian sanatorium in the Diaspora. It was founded in 1923.

13.    Lebanon is where the Armenian village Anjar, formed by descendants of Moussa Dagh, with the assistance of French, is located.

14.    Lebanon’s President Emile Lahoud was born in Baabdat on Janury 12, 1936. He is the youngest son of General and former minister Jamil Lahoud. His mother, Andrenee Bajakian, is of Armenian descent from the Armenian-populated village of Kessab, in Syria.

15.    Lebanon has many of its impressive building designed by Mardiros Altounian (1889–1958), an Armenian-Lebanese architect. He designed the Lebanese Parliament Building in Beirut (1931), the Abed clock tower (1934), Azounieh sanatorium in Chouf,  and Melkonian Benefactors' Mausoleum in Cyprus (with French-Armenian sculptor Leon Mouradoff). Also, St. Gregory Cathedral in Antelian (courtesy Hagop Toroyan), St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Harissa (courtesy Father Nareg Lousian),  Genocide Memorial in 1923.  (coutesy Garo Derounian).

16.    Lebanon is where KOHAR library is located. It is owned and sponsored by Khatchadourian brothers, and has the world’s largest collection of Armenian song books and hymns and flies the largest Lebanese flag from its rooftop.

17.    Lebanon is where Diaspora’s oldest and largest orphanage, Birds’ Nest, is found. It is under the juristiction of the Catholicosate of Sis in Antelias.

18.    Under the Ottoman Empire, Mount Lebanon’s first – Daoud Pasha, and the last – Hovhannes Pasha Kouyoumjian - governors were Armenians.

19.     Lebanon is where the Armenian Diaspora pop music started. Almost all the Diaspora pop singers had their debut in Lebanon. Name one that did not. 

20.    Lebanon is where the American University of Beirut is located, which boasts more Armenian college graduates than any other institutution of higher learning in any other country, save naturally Armenia.

21.    Lebanon is where, the first post Armenian Genocide High School, the Armenian Evangelical College (AEC) was established in 1923, where Noubar Efeyan, the principal founder of Moderna, went to school.

22.    Lebanon is where Nobel Prize Laureate, Artem Patapoutian was born and educated in Armenian school before immigrating to the U.S.A. 

23.    Lebanon is where the famed Armenian Jemaran-high school – was founded on March 3, 1930 by Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society .  Prof. Richard Hovannisian and Vartan Krikorian attended it for varying times.

24.    Lebanon is where the oldest literary magazine in Western Armenian, Pakin, was established in 1962 and continues to be published.

25.    Lebanon is where Hamazkayin Vahe Setian publishing is founded and located that has published more Western Armenian books than anywhere else in the Diaspora.

26.    Lebanon is where the municipality of Bourj Hammoud, once exclusively inhabited by Armenians, is located whose mayor is an Armenian to this day. 

27.    More Armenians born and raised in Diaspora were schooled in Western Armenian  in Armenians schools in Lebanon, than anywhere else in the Diaspora. 

28.    In 1932 Siran Seza, A Lebanese-Armenian writer began publishing the first feminist literary review for women in Lebanon called The young Armenian Women (Երիտասարդ Հայուհի).Seza was born in Constantinople, present day Istanbul, in 1903. The final issue of the magazine was published in 1968.

29.    The central committee of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society is located in Lebanon.  

30.    The Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) is an autonomous body of Armenian Evangelical churches comprising 25 congregations throughout Australia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The UAECNE, previously known as the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon, is the continuance of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in Cilicia. Those who survived the Armenian Genocide formed the timber around which the Armenian Evangelical Community was founded in the Near East. It is headquartered in Lebanon. 

31.    On August 4, 2020, during the 2020 Beirut explosions, 15 Armenians were killed, more than 250 were injured, The Armenian Catholicosate in Antelis suffered great material damage, Armenian churches and the building of Haigazin University were damaged.         

32.        John Wortabet (1927-1908) was an Armenian physician, missionary, and educator, John Wortabet was born in 1827. His father died while he was young and Ms. Whiting, an American missionary, took care of him. He joined the American School in Beirut until he mastered English well. Then he studied Arabic under Sheikh Nassif el-Yaziji and mastered Hebrew, Greek, and Latin while studying theology. When the Syrian Protestant College, the precursor of the American University of Beirut established its medical program, he joined it as a professor in anatomy and physiology. His bust remains placed in AUB.