Araratian Pontifical Diocese

Diocese of Araratian

Արարատյան Հայրապետական թեմ
Diocese of Araratian; Արարատյան Հայրապետական թեմ
	Saint Sarkis Cathedral
Location
Country	Armenia
Statistics
Population; - Total	(as of 2011); 1,300,000
Information
Denomination	Armenian Apostolic Church
Rite	Armenian Rite
Established	4th century
Cathedral	Saint Sarkis, Yerevan
Current leadership
Patriarch	Karekin II
Pontifical vicar	Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan
Website
	Official website

Araratian Pontifical Diocese (Armenian: Արարատյան Հայրապետական թեմ Araratyan Hayrapetakan t'em) is the largest diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world, covering the city of Yerevan and the Ararat Province within Armenia.^[1]

History

The origin of Araratian Pontifical Diocese dates back the beginning of the 4th century. With the Christianzation of Armenia, Saint Gregory the Illuminator established the Catholicosate of All Armenians in Vagharshapat, as well as the Araratian Pontifical Diocese and appointed Bishop Albianus as the first primate vicar of the newly-founded diocese. The name of the diocese is derived from Mount Ararat; the symbol of the Armenian nation. At first, the diocese included the territories of the Ararat plain, Nakhijevan, Kotayk and the western territories of Lake Sevan. It is believed that the diocese was commonly known as the Diocese of Yerevan between the 15th and 19th centuries. Under the Russian rule during the mid-19th century, the jurisdiction of the diocese was expanded to include the territories of Syunik and Shirak as well, followed by the area of Kars in 1878, covering almost the entire area of Eastern Armenia.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Araratian Pontifical Diocese had 643 churches, 13 monastic complexes and more than 150 schools functioning under its jurisdiction. In August 1920, upon a kontakion issued by Catholicos George V, the territory of Shirak was separated from the Araratian Diocese to form the Diocese of Shirak. After the Treaty of Moscow in 1921, the Araratian Diocese lost the territories of Kars and Nakhijevan. The diocese lost most of its properties under the Soviet rule between 1920 and 1991.

With the independence of Armenia in 1991, the Armenian Church was reorganized, most of the properties were returned to the church and many new dioceses were established based on the administrative divisions of Armenia.

Currently,^[when?] the Araratian Pontifical Diocese is the largest diocese of the Armenian Church, with around 1.3 million people under its jurisdiction. The primate vicar of the diocese is Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, serving since 1999.^[2] The diocesan headquarters are located in the capital Yerevan, next to the Saint Sarkis Cathedral.

Active churches

As of June 2017, the diocese has the below listed churches and chapels functioning under its jurisdiction, operating throughout Yerevan and Ararat Province, with the exception of the 17th-century Khor Virap monastic complex in Ararat Province, the Cathedral of Saint Gregory in Yerevan opened in 2001, and the Surp Anna Church in Yerevan opened in 2015, which are directly regulated by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.^[3]

Here is the list of churches, monasteries and chapels functioning under the jurisdiction of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, along with their location and year of consecration: