Frequently Asked Questions

What are the sacraments of the Church?

The seven sacraments of the Armenian Church are Baptism (Soorp Mrgrdootiun), Chrismation (Troshm), Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak), Marriage (Soorp Busag), Ordination (Tsernatrootiun), Penance (Khosdovanank), and Last Anointing (Verchin Odzoom).

Who composes the hierarchy of the Armenian Church?

The Hierarchy has four leaders.  The Catholicos of All Armenians and Supreme Patriarch, who resides in Holy Etchmiadzin, is the leader of the Armenian Church.  Below him is the Catholicos of Cilicia, who resides in Antelias, Lebanon.  Next is the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who resides in Jerusalem, Israel and the Patriarch of Constantinople, who resides in Istanbul, Turkey.

What Holy Orders are there in the Armenian Church?

Major Orders include the following:

• (Arch)Bishop ((Ark)Yebiscopos)
• Priest (Kahana)
• Celibate Priest (Goosagron/Hayr Soorp)
• Married Priest (Amoosnatsadz/Der Hayr)
• Deacon (Sargavak)

Minor Orders include:

• Sub-deacon (Gisasargavak)
• Chorister (Tbir)

How does our church regard women being priests?  Is it scripturally forbidden in the Bible, is it a tradition, or Armenian Church doctrine alone?

There is nothing in the Holy Scriptures and the subsequent canons forbidding women from becoming priests.  Having said this, Christ, who was revealed to us as a male, personally replaced the ancient priesthood of Israel, which was in the male line of the family of Aaron.  The Christian priesthood as an institution originates with Christ, the High Priest of the new faith, and was developed over a period of time.  Consequently there is very little about it in the New Testament, save for terms like presbyter ['elder'] and episkopos ['overseer' or 'bishop']. 

Restricting the priesthood only to males is not the practice of the Armenian Church alone.  We have no evidence for women priests in the entire history of the ancient and medieval Christian church.  The controversy about women priests was never an issue in the remote past and it rose only in very modern times.  As a result, the Christian church of old, including the Armenian Church, did not see the need for developing teachings and doctrines for or against this issue. 

The Armenian Church is still "traditional" in its views about this matter.  In church usage "traditional" does not have its ordinary meaning.  Our present practice is a part and parcel of the Sacred Tradition of the Christian church as it was brought to Armenia by the earliest missionaries and as it was developed during the Apostolic and later ages.  Sacred Tradition to us, and to the Catholics as well as the Eastern Orthodox, is as important as the Holy Scriptures.   The fact is that the New Testament for the most part-- especially the stories, reminiscences, descriptions, sermons and other material in the Gospels--was initially transmitted by the way of mouth.

What is the Armenian Church's stance on tithing?

Pious gifts enable the Armenian Church to pursue and extend the limits of her mission.  It is easy to say that the Armenian Church, in addition to her liturgical and pastoral duties, must also do spiritual, social, charitable and other kinds of works that please God.  This remains only wishful thinking if our parishes and/or the Diocese do not have the necessary funds for such matters.  In the past, dues such as the tithe, the ptghi, the has and other kinds of gifts made it possible for the Armenian Church in the homeland and the older communities to tend to the spiritual, social and educational needs of the Armenian people. 

Learn more about the history of giving in the Armenian Church.