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Christianity is divided into two parts, Eastern and Western Christianity. The Eastern churches are known as orthodox - of which the Armenian Church is a part. This split occurred over a thousand years ago as the two major centers of Christianity, Rome and Byzantium slowly drifted apart. In 1054, church officials from the East and West declared their problems with each other, leading to a constant turmoil within the Church's hierarchy. The schism between the churches was finalized in 1204 when crusaders captured Constantinople.
Some of the differences between the East and West are as follows. The first is the issue of Papal supremacy. While the Roman Church sees the Pope as the infallible prince of God's earthly kingdom, the Eastern Church sees him only as the first in the order of a giant hierarchy. Where the West follows the Pope, the East follows councils, with many leaders making major decisions.
Some less important important differences are the East's rules about fasting. Leavened bread is used in Eastern masses. Clergy of the East are allowed to marry, and lay people are allowed to divorce. The Eastern Church does not teach about purgatory. While the Western Church takes a scholastic approach to its faith, the East relies more on mysticism.
There are also divisions within the Eastern Church. Armenian Orthodoxy, along with the Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian and Indian Malabar Orthodoxies, is part of the Oriental Orthodoxy, or the non-Chalcedonian Orthodoxy. This group split off after the Council of Chalcedon, which ruled on some major points of the nature of Jesus Christ. According to the Armenian Church, Christ has "Incorruptible body and one united nature". In other words, Jesus Christ is perfect man and perfect God; but neither His human nature is separated from His divine nature, nor His divine nature from His human nature. These two natures are so united with one another that they are indivisible and are not two, but one. Christ has taken His body from the Virgin Mary and under the influence of the Holy Spirit it has been changed into incorruptible body and so united with divine nature that it is impossible to divide or separate them from each other. This is the reason why the Armenian Church does not pour any water into the wine at the Holy Liturgy and also keeps the Holy Mass bread free from any fermentation. That is why the Armenian Church uses plain (unleavened) bread and pure red wine in the Holy Communion service as a symbol of Christ's inseparable nature as Man and God. Also, according to the doctrine of the Armenian Church, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as a Trinity, have formed one nature, one Divinity, and not three gods but one God, one will, one kingdom, one power, one administration and one dominion. In Armenian Church sacraments are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Communion, Matrimony, Ordination and the Order of the Sick and the Extreme Unction. However, in 1990, a council brought the sects of Eastern Orthodoxy closer together. And on a similar note, the East and West were reconciled (although not quite united ) in 1965 with the Vatican II Council.
In what we believe?
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible....
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father.
God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten and not made; of the same nature of the Father, by whom all things came into being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heaven, took body, became man, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.
He suffered and was crucified and was buried and rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the Father. He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.
We believe also in the Holy Spirit, uncreated and the perfect, who spoke through the Law and through the Prophets and through the Gospels; Who came down upon Jordan, preached and through the apostles and dwelled in the saints.
We believe also in only one Catholic (“Catholic” – this word must not to be confused with the Roman Catholic faith. Catholic is a Greek word meaning “Universal”. Theologically, the church has been called “catholic” as a description of the catholicity (universality) of the ancient Church for all Christians) and Apostolic Holy Church; In one baptism with repentance for the remission and forgiveness of sins; In the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies, in the kingdom of heaven and in the life eternal. |
Our Church 
