The fact of the formation and development of Catholic communities in Armenia, which adopted Christianity as a state religion in 301 and had high priests and Catholics from the Apostolic Church for centuries, has been mentioned since the 17th century and most often associated with the historical and geopolitical circumstances rather than religious and confessional orientations. The process of forming Catholic communities within Armenia and beyond its borders proceeded along two complementary paths. The first path was connected with the activities of foreign missionaries who were purposefully sent to the Armenian territories with the goal of creating Catholic parishes and converting local communities under the pretext of supporting them. The second path was connected with the fact that, along with the large influx of migrants from Armenia and the organization of Armenian-populated settlements, Armenians in some settlements, especially in Western European countries, adopted Catholicism and founded Catholic churches, eventually losing their national identity and being subjected to assimilation. However, among the Catholic communities created by Armenians, the history of the Mekhitarist Congregation of Saint Lazarus stands out for its unique principles of organizing religious and theological activities as well as activities aimed at preserving Armenianism and extensive intercultural and civilizational activities. On September 8, 1717, on the feast on the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary's birthday, a group of Armenian Catholic priests led by Vardapet Mkhitar Sebastatsi, arrived on the island of St. Lazarus, just south of Venice, to found a religious congregation to carry out “monastic” activities and activities “for the good of the nation”.
Key words: abbot Mkhitar Sebastatsi, the Mekhitarist Congregation, Catholicism, Ecumenical Church, pan-Christian humanism, theology, comprehensive measurements of culture and science
DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662-2025-4-15-25
About the authors
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Eva Zh. Mnatsakanyan – D.Sc. (Philology), Institute of Literature n.a. M. Abeghyan of The National Academy of Sciences of Armenia; 15 Grigor Lusavorich St., Yerevan, 0015, Republic of Armenia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Nune L. Mkrtchyan – PhD (Philology), Institute of Literature n.a. M. Abeghyan of The National Academy of Sciences of Armenia; 15 Grigor Lusavorich St., Yerevan, 0015, Republic of Armenia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Siranush A. Margaryan – PhD (Philology), Institute of Literature n.a. M. Abeghyan of The National Academy of Sciences of Armenia; 15 Grigor Lusavorich St., Yerevan, 0015, Republic of Armenia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |