Holy See of Cilicia

The Holy See of Cilicia (officially known as "the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia" (Armenian: Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ ) is one of two sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia has been headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon. Aram I has been Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1995.

Great House of Cilicia eras

• First Sis era, 267-301: According to the order of Catholicoi, *St. Gregory I the Enlightener (also known as Gregory the Illuminator) was seated in Sis 267-301 before moving to Echmiadzin in 301 where he continued in office until 325. The see was vacant until 1058.
• Sivas era, 1058–1062
• Tavbloor era, 1062–1066
• Dzamendav (Zamidia, now Zamantı) era, 1066–1116
• Dzovk (Present aka Island of Gölcük and under the lake of Hazar), era, 1116–1149
• Hromgla (now Halfeti) era, 1149–1293
• Second Sis era, 1293-1930 (with a holy see established in Etchmiadzin in 1441)
• Antelias, Lebanon era, since 1930 - having transferred there from Sis in Cilicia in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide.

Early history of the Armenian Church

The origin of the Armenian Church dates back to the Apostolic age and according to the ancient tradition was established by St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew. In 301 AD, Christianity was officially accepted by the Armenians as the state religion.

St. Gregory the Illuminator, the patron Saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and King Tiridates III of Armenia, the ruler of the time, played a pivotal role in the official Christianization of Armenia. St. Gregory the Illuminator became the organizer of the Armenian Church hierarchy. From that time, the heads of the Armenian Church have been called Catholicos and still hold the same title. St. Gregory chose as the site of the Catholicosate then the capital city of Vagharshapat, in Armenia. He built the pontifical residence next to the church called "Holy Mother of God" (which in recent times would take on the name of St. Etchmiadzin).

In 485 AD, the Catholicosate was transferred to the new capital Dvin. In the 10th century it moved from Dvin to Dzoravank and then to Aghtamar (927 AD), to Arghina (947 AD) and to Ani (992 AD).

Early era of the Catholicosate in Cilicia (1058-1293)

After the fall of Ani and the Armenian Kingdom of Bagradits in 1045, masses of Armenians migrated to Cilicia. The Catholicosate, together with the people, settled there. The seat of the church (now known as The Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia) was first established in Sivas (1058 AD) moving to Tavbloor (1062 AD), then to Dzamendav (1066 AD), Dzovk (1116 AD), Hromgla (1149 AD), and finally in Sis (1293), the capital of the Cilician Kingdom.

After the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, in 1375, the Church also assumed the role of national leadership, and the Catholicos was recognized as Ethnarch (Head of Nation). This national responsibility considerably broadened the scope of the Church's mission.

Two Catholicosates starting 1441 AD

In 1441, a new Catholicos was elected in St. Etchmiadzin in the person of Kirakos I Virapetsi of Armenia. At the same time residing Catholicos in Sis Gregory IX Mousabegian (1439–1446) remained as Catholicos of Cilicia. Therefore, since 1441, there have been two Catholicosates in the Armenian Apostolic Church with the primacy of honor of the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin recognized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians resides at the Holy Etchmiadzin.

Catholicosate in Sis (1293-1930)

The city of Sis (modern-day Kozan, Adana, Turkey) was the center of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia for more than 6 centuries starting 1293, when the Catholicosate moved from Hromgla to Sis. During the Armenian Genocide, in 1915, the Armenian population and the monastery of St. Sophia of Sis, home of the Catholicosate (which dominated the town in early 20th century photographs) was destroyed.^[1] The last residing Catholicos in Sis was Sahak II of Cilicia (Catholicos from 1902 to 1939). Sahak II followed his Armenian flock in exile from Turkey.

Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon (1930-Present)

Sahak II after leaving the premises of the Catholicosate in Sis stayed at various locations in Northern Syria and in Lebanon, running the affairs of the Catholicosate.

Tha ailing Catholicos who served until 1939 was aided in his later years by Papken I of Cilicia who served as Coadjutor for the Catholicos from 1931-1936. Both clergy decided to acquire a plot of land in Antelias, Lebanon, to build there the new center of the Catholicosate.

By donations from Simon and Mathilde Kayekjian, the property of the Catholicosate was purchased from the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. The latter charity which 1922-1928 had been running an Armenian orphanage on that same plot of land from 1922 to 1928. It was only natural that the Catholicosate would consider that spacious plot to build the new Catholicosate on.

The main cathedral called St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral was built through the donation of an unknown benefactor, whose name was kept a secret until his death according to his wishes. His name, Sarkis Kenadjian, was revealed only after his death.

A chapel in memory of the one and a half million Armenian martyrs was built, followed by a residence for the Catholicos (called Veharan) and a new Seminary building, constructed one after the other. The chapel was built after the donation of Armenian-Cypriot benefactor and art collector Vahram Utidjian, the son of the famous official translator for the British Apisoghom Utidjian. Catholicos Sahag II died in 1939. However the Museum is a much later development and built and inaugurated in 1997.

The complex of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (in Antelias, Lebanon) includes:

• St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral built in 1940
• The Catholicosate Library (established 1932)
• "Cilicia" church museum (1997)
• Chapel dedicated to the memorial of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, built after the donation of Armenian-Cypriot Vahram Utidjian.
• The "Veharan" (Վեհարան), the location of the catholicos' residence.

The Catholicosate complex also includes the mausoleum / cemetery where a number of the heads of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia are buried. For a certain period, the Catholicosate also hosted an elementary Armenian school within the Catholicosate complex but the school was closed later on.

A theological seminary is located in the nearby mountains in Bikfaya that also serves as summer residence for the Catholicos and the clergy.

Publications

Hask

The Catholicossate has its own publishing house and has a number of publications, most notably the monthly "Hask" (in Armenian Հասկ), the official organ of the Holy See of Cilicia.

Others

The Catholicoastae publishes also a great number of books in Armenian and other languages mainly in church literature as well as Armenian historical, cultural and literary subjects and series/collections of important Armenian literature.

The Holy See of Cilicia also organizes an annual book fair on the occasion of Feast of the Holy Translators (known also as Surb Tarkmantchats), an official holiday on the calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church to commemorate the legacy of the translators of the Bible and other Christian religious books to Armenian language in the 5th century.

Hask Armenological Review

It also publishes the annual "Hask Armenological Review" (in Armenian Հասկ Հայագիտական Հանդէս) on Armenian studies

Prelacies and Dioceses, and Churches

(in parenthesis, the residence of the Prelate / Archbishop / Bishop)

• United States (2 prelacies)
  • Prelacy of Eastern United States of America (in New York)
    • Connecticut
      • Saint Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, New Britain, CT
    • Washington, D.C.
      • Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church, Bethesda, MD
    • Florida
      • St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, Lauderdale, FL
      • Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church, Kissimmee, FL
    • Illinois
      • All Saints' Armenian Apostolic Church, Glenview, IL
      • St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, Granite City, IL
      • St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church, Waukegan, IL
    • Massachusetts
      • St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic ChurchIndian Orchard, MA
      • St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, MA
      • St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church, Watertown, MA
      • St. Asdvadzadzin Armenian Apostolic Church, Whitinsville, MA
      • Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, MA
    • Michigan
      • St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church
    • New Jersey
      • St. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, Ridgefield, NJ
    • New York
      • St. Illuminators Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, New York, NY
      • St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, Douglaston, NY
      • Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church, Troy, NY
      • St. John the Baptist Armenian Apostolic Church, Jamesville, NY
      • St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church, Niagara Falls, NY
    • Ohio
      • Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church
    • Pennsylvania
      • St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, Philadelphia, PA
    • Rhode Island
      • Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, Providence, RI
    • Wisconsin
      • St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Prelacy of Western United States of America(in La Crescenta, California)
    • California
      • Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, Encino, CA
      • Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Fresno, CA
      • St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church, Glendale, CA
      • St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church, Hollywood, CA
      • Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church, Montebello, CA
      • St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, Pasadena, CA
      • St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, San Francisco, CA
      • Forty Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church of Orange County, Santa Ana, CA

• Canada
  • Prelacy of Canada (in Montreal)
    • Quebec
      • Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec
      • Sourp Kevork Armenian Apostolic Church, Laval des Rapides, Quebec
    • Ontario
      • St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Toronto, Ontario
      • Sourp Nishan Armenian Apostolic Church, Cambridge, Ontario
      • St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Catharines, Ontario
    • British Columbia
      • St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, Vancouver, British Columbia

• Lebanon
  • Diocese of Lebanon (in Beirut)
  • Diocese of Lebanon (in Anjar)
  • Diocese of Lebanon (in Bourj Hammoud)
  • Diocese of Lebanon (in Antelias)

• Syria (three dioceses)
  • Diocese of Aleppo, Syria (in Aleppo)
  • Diocese of Jezireh, Syria (in Kamishli)
  • Diocese of Damascus, Syria (in Damascus)

• Cyprus
  • Diocese of Cyprus (in Nicosia)
    • Nicosia
      • Sourp Asdvadzadzin church (1981).
      • Old Sourp Asdvadzadzin church (1308), as of 1964 under Turkish occupation.
      • Sourp Boghos chapel (1892).
      • Sourp Haroutiun chapel (1938).
      • Sourp Amenapergitch chapel (1995).
    • Halevga
      • Sourp Magar monastery (1425), as of 1974 under Turkish occupation.
    • Famagusta
      • Ganchvor church (1346), as of 1964 under Turkish occupation.
    • Larnaca
      • Sourp Stepanos church (1909).
    • Limassol
      • Sourp Kevork church (1939).

• Greece
  • Diocese of Greece (in Athens)

• Iran (3 diocese)
  • Diocese of Tehran, Iran
  • Diocese of Isfahan, Iran
  • Diocese of Tabriz, Azerbaijan, Iran

• Gulf
  • Diocese of Kuwait and the Persian Gulf Countries (in Kuwait)

• Venezuela
  • Vicariate of Venezuela (in Caracas)

Location

The Holy See of Cilicia is located in Antelias, Matn District at (33.918275, 35.585328), on a large plot overlooking the Beirut - Tripoli highway and the Mediterranean Sea.

Gallery

See also

• Armenian Apostolic Church
• Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
• List of Armenian Catholicoi of Cilicia

References

External links

• Official site of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
• Armenian Prelacy of Canada
• Armenian Prelacy of Greece
• Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon
• Armenian Prelacy of Peria (Aleppo, Syria)
• Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
• Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
• Gandzasar Monastery, Nagorno Karabakh