Armenian Catholic Church
Armenian Catholic Church: a Church sui iuris of the Armenian tradition. Status, head, countries, liturgical books, history, sources, and public-domain texts.
- Tradition (CCEO can. 28 §2)
- Armenian tradition (Source: CCEO, vatican.va ↗)
- Catechism (CCC 1203)
- Armenian (Source: Catechism, vatican.va ↗)
- Canonical status
- Patriarchal Church sui iuris (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Head
- Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian (as listed by GCatholic on 25 October 2026) (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Historical centre
- Vagharshapat (historical centre of Armenian Christianity (Vagharshapat/Etchmiadzin)) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Present see
- Beirut (patriarchal residence; patriarchal convent at Bzommar) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Liturgical books
- Unverified Armenian Badarak (Divine Liturgy of St Athanasius as attributed in the tradition); current Catholic edition not verified. (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia ↗)
- Own jurisdiction in
- Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Palestine, Romania, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay (30) (Source: GCatholic ↗) As listed on 25 October 2026.
- Approximate historical heartland
- historic Armenia, Cilicia; Beirut and Aleppo today (Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Where it has its own jurisdiction
Showing the Armenian Catholic Church, present jurisdictions: 30 countries.
Countries where the Armenian Catholic Church has its own jurisdiction: 30 countries.
Countries with the Church's own jurisdiction; faithful elsewhere are served by local ordinaries.
Countries shaded (30)
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Brazil
- Canada
- Egypt
- Estonia
- France
- Georgia
- Greece
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lithuania
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Palestine
- Romania
- Russia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United States
- Uruguay
Source: GCatholic ↗, as listed on 25 October 2026.
Borders are illustrative (Natural Earth, de facto lines) and imply no position. Shading shows where a Church has its own jurisdiction, not where all its faithful live. Made with Natural Earth ↗ (public domain). Sources and method.
History
- 1198 to 1375 Union in the Cilician kingdom (not accepted outside Cilicia) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 22 November 1439 Exultate Deo (Council of Florence) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 1742 Abraham Ardzivian confirmed as Patriarch of Cilicia (Benedict XIV) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 1867 Sees united; patriarchate moved to Constantinople (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 1928 Synod transfers patriarchate back to Lebanon (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 13 July 1991 Ordinariate for Armenian Catholics of Eastern Europe (Gyumri) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Dates are given as ranges or centuries where the sources give no single date.
Texts and resources
Every resource is an outside link; nothing here is hosted by Bibliotheca Catholica. What the badges mean.
- The Armenian Liturgy (1862) ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
1862 - E. F. K. Fortescue, The Armenian Church, founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator (London: J. T. Hayes, 1872) ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
Published 1872. Author as recorded by archive.org: Edward Francis Knottesford Fortescue (not Adrian Fortescue). - Catholic Encyclopedia: 'Armenia' ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
1907 to 1912
In the library
- Gregory of Narek Armenian Doctor of the Church
Main sources: CNEWA ↗. Checked 2026-10-26. Sources and method.