Holy See of Cilicia

Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (Holy See of Cilicia)
The coat of arms of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
Founder	The Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus
Independence	Apostolic Era
Recognition
Primate	Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, Aram I.
Headquarters	Antelias, Lebanon
Territory	Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Greece, Iran, the Persian Gulf, Canada, United States, Venezuela.
Possessions
Language	Armenian
Adherents
Website	Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral Սուրբ Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ մայր տաճար
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
Shown within Lebanon
Basic information
Location	Antelias,  Lebanon
Geographic coordinates	33°55′06″N 35°35′07″E / 33.918275°N 35.585328°E / 33.918275; 35.585328Coordinates: 33°55′06″N 35°35′07″E / 33.918275°N 35.585328°E / 33.918275; 35.585328
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Architectural description
Architectural style	Armenian
Completed	1940

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.

[edit] 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) era, 1066–1116
• Dzovk era, 1116–1149
• Hromgla 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.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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).

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon (1930-Present)

Partial view of the Catholicosate complex on the Mediterranean Sea in Antelias

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (1940)

Interior of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral

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.

Memorial chapel to the Armenian Genocide at the Catholicosate premises in Antelias

The Veharan, the residence of the Catholicos in Antelias, Lebanon

Holy Mother of God Church (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) at the seminary in Bikfaya

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 also runs a printing house that publishes various religious, cultural and historical books and publications, as well as "Hask" the official periodical of the Catholicosate and the annual "Hask Armenological Review".

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 that 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.

[edit] Prelacies and Dioceses

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

• United States (2 prelacies)
  • Prelacy of Eastern United States of America (in New York)
  • Prelacy of Western United States of America (in La Crescenta, California)

• Canada:
  • Prelacy of Canada (in Montreal)

• 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)

• 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)

[edit] Location

The Holy See of Cilicia is located in Antelias, Matn District at 33°55′5.79″N 35°35′7.18″E / 33.918275°N 35.5853278°E / 33.918275; 35.5853278 (33.918275, 35.585328), on a large plot overlooking the Beirut - Tripoli highway and the Mediterranean Sea.

[edit] Gallery

• 

  A khatchkar on the premises

[edit] See also

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

[edit] References

[edit] 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

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