THE THIRD REPUBLIC AND THE CHURCH

 Catholicos Vazgen I reigned on the Seat of St. Gregory from 1955 - 1994, one of the longest in Catholicosal history. During these utmost critical years Vazgen I managed to prevent the collapse of the Holy Apostolic Church in the face of disputes and strives among the dioceses of the Holy See and  also asserted a great degree of independence in policy making of the Church from the central authorities which otherwise controlled almost every aspect of socio-economic and political spheres of society. His remarkable reign extended to the era of the Third Republic. Catholicos Vazgen I will always be remembered in the hearts and minds of Armenians as a  just, virtuous and devout shepherd of his people.
 

 Written by Gevork Nazaryan

On August 21, 1991, the Republic of Armenia -- the Third Republic, was proclaimed after the disintegration of the USSR. The President of the Third Republic, Levon Ter-Petrosian, elected by an overwhelming majority of the voters was blessed by one of the longest reigning and most beloved Catholicoi of all time -- His Holiness Vazgen I. Religious freedom and the right of worship, were once again restored under the new government. The Holy Apostolic Church of Armenia took concrete steps towards the reunification of the two wings of Apostolic Christendom, uniting the Holy See of the Mother Church and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, that unfortunately to this day has not come to a full fruition. Catholicos Vazgen I began making preparations

to mark the 1700 anniversary of adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the State [in 301 AD] - making Armenia the first nation to do so. In the fall of 1994, after a nearly 40 year reign [from 1955], Catholicos Vazgen I passed away, forever being remembered by the people of Armenia as their beloved spiritual leader. Catholicos Vazgen I undertook a tireless effort in renewing a number of ancient Armenian churches and reviving a number of institutions throughout the Holy See.

THE TOMB OF H. H. THE LATE CATHOLICOS VAZGĒN I IN THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL.
THE HOLY SHRINE MARKED WITH THE SACRED Ē -- SEVENTH QUINTESSENTIAL LETTER --
SUPERIMPOSED UPON AN EQUAL ARMED FOUR FOLD CROSS.
12 POINTS LEAD TO THE ONE IMMOVABLE CENTER -- EMANATION OF
DNA-INFINITI INTERWOVEN HELIX FROM THE SQUARE. SPIRALING SYMBOLS OF
LIFE AND FERTILITY SPINNING RIGHT AND LEFT. ALL WITHIN THE DISK OF ETERNITY.

THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR IN
ANTELIAS, LEBANON -- THE HOLY SEAT OF THE
REIGNING CATHOLICOS OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA
ARAM I. NEXT TO THE CATHEDRAL IS THE MONUMENT SHRINE
DEDICATED TO THE MARTYRS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.
IN LATE 1990s A NEWLY BUILT MATENADARAN-MUSEUM
WAS ERECTED TO HOUSE SOME OF THE PRICELESS
HISTORIC ARTWORKS PRESERVED BY THE CHURCH.

M  A  R  Y  A.  GREAT MOTHER ENTHRONED -- HOLY BIRTH GIVER OF
THE SON [SUN] OF GOD -- THE UNSEEN FATHER. THE HOLY HIGH ALTAR OF THE
MOTHER CHURCH ADORNED WITH THE SACRED
Ē -- THE SEVENTH ESSENTIAL LETTER [4+3 THRONE STEPS LEAD TO THE APEX]
WITHIN A GOLDEN TRIANGLE.
THE DIVINE SPARK/FIRE/SPIRIT OF THE CREATOR [ ..OR...WHICH  IS...] OF THE
MANIFEST COSMIC HIERARCHY...THREE RINGS UNITE [TRIUNE] TO FORM
THE TRIANGULAR ALTAR. TWO POLES/PILLARS LEAD TO THE THIRD
PRINCIPLE [SYNTHESIS] SUPPORTED BY TWO EAGLES FACING EACH OTHER.

THE MOTHER OF GOD AND CHRIST CHILD...
 IN ST. VARDAN CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK
LIKE THE ALTAR OF THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL OF
ECHMIADZIN BY THE GREAT GRIGOR KHANJIAN.

THE ALTAR OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL IN ANTELIAS,
THE SEAT OF THE CATHOLICOSATE OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA.
8+8=16 TRIANGULAR STEPS LEAD TO THE 17TH STEP THAT AT THE
TRUNCATED APEX HAS THE SACRED ...THE ALTAR SUPPORTED BY
COLUMNS [TWO AT THE FOREFRONT] WITH OVERARCHING LAYERED
 GATEWAYS...VIRGIN MOTHER WITH THE CHRIST CHILD.

A number of treasures of the Holy See were saved -- thanks to his efforts -- with the establishment of the Alex Manougian [a prominent Armenian philanthropist who among other great inventions decades ago came up with the concept of the double 'cold and hot' faucet] Museum of the Mother Church. Catholicos Vazgen I ‘s successor became Garegin I, previously the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, ordained in April of 1995, after the election by the Church Council of the Holy See. Garegin I began his reign

with visits to the heroic people of Artsakh and different Armenian communities in the Diaspora. After the passing of Garegin I in 1998, the successor on St. Gregory's seat became Catholicos Garegin II [previously the Archbishop of the Ararat Dioceses of the Holy See], elected by the Church Council in October of 1999.

THE SACRED APOSTOLIC DOUBLE-HEADED BLAZON
OF THE WESTERN DIOCESE OF THE
ARMENIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA HEADED BY
HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP HOVNAN DERDERIAN, PRIMATE.

THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL OF THE WESTERN DIOCESE.

ARMENIAN CHURCH IN KIEV, UKRAINE. ONE OF THE COUNTLESS ARMENIAN
CHURCHES THROUGHOUT EUROPE AS MANY MILLIONS OF EUROPEANS HAVE
ARMENIAN BLOOD IN THEIR VEINS, AS MILLIONS OF ARMENIANS AFTER
THE FALL OF THE ARMENIAN KINGDOM OF BAGRATIDS TO THE SELJUK TURKS IN
THE XITH CENTURY FLED TO COUNTRIES LIKE RUSSIA, UKRAINE, POLAND, AUSTRIA,
GERMANY AND VIRTUALLY ALL COUNTRIES OF THE EASTERN AND WESTERN EUROPE.
THOSE WAVES OF ARMENIANS AS EARLIER INDO-EUROPEAN MIGRATIONS FROM
THE SACRED HIGHLAND HOMELAND WOULD FORM A QUINTESSENTIAL SUBSTRATUM
 OF THOSE NATIONS.

ONE OF THE COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS STRUCK BY THE MOTHER SEE
UPON THE ORDERS OF H. H. CATHOLICOS VAZGĒN I
IN HONOR OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE ST. VARTAN'S CATHEDRAL
ON APRIL 28, 1968.

THE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL PUBLISHED
BY KEEN NUMISMATISTS OF THE ARMENIAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY.
'...TRIANGLE WHICH CONTAINS THE LETTER Ē (E) SIGNIFYING 'HE WHO IS' OR
DIVINE ESSENCE...' THE TALENTED ARMENIAN CRAFTSMAN
FROM A LONG FAMILY OF FINE ALCHEMIST JEWELERS
-- JOHN HOVHANNES -- [LIT. DOUBLING -- JOHN JOHN... FROM ARMANI-
SUMERIAN-SHINAR AND ALSO MR [EGYPT] OANN[ES]-ON-AN
WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE HOLY SEE TO CRAFT THE WORK.

THE DIVINE ORDER AND BEAUTY OF ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE.
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS
[SRBOTS TARGMANCHATS] IN MARSEILLES.

COMMEMORATIVE 50,000 DRAM BILL ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL
BANK OF ARMENIA [CBA] IN 2001 UPON COMMEMORATION OF THE 1700
ANNIVERSARY OF ADOPTION OF CHRISTIANITY. ILLUMINED APEX OF THE
CENTRAL DOME OF THE MOTHER CHURCH [WITH THE ARCH
 SUPPORTED BY TWO PILLARS] IS ADORNED WITH A
EQUILATERAL RED CROSS UPON A WHITE FIELD. THE SPECIAL
SERIES ARE MARKED ĒA AFTER THE PRIMORDIAL ARMAN GOD
OF WISDOM AND DIVINE ESSENCE.

THE IMPOSING ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
THE SEAT OF THE EASTERN DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA.

THE SACRED SEVENTH LETTER OF DIVINE ESSENCE OF
FATHER ĒA-HAYA AS A BRILLIANTLY SHINING EIGHT RAYED
DIVINE SPARK THAT IN TURN LEAD TO DOUBLING...
ONE...TWO...FOUR...EIGHT...SIXTEEN [DIG. ROOT 1+6=7 OF 9 NUM. DEC. SYSTEM
AXIS NUMBER]...THIRTY-TWO [3+2=5]...SIXTY-FOUR...ONENESS OF ALL
FROM THE DIVINE SOURCE [1,2,4,8,7,5, AND BACK TO THE ONE ADD 27+1...28...
ADDITION OF ONE THROUGH SEVEN]...BINARY CODE REPEATS
AS THE SPIRAL SPINS 128 [2] ,256 [4] , 512 [8] ,1024 [7] , 2048 [5]
ON AND ON...INSIDE THE HUGE DOME OF
ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL OFFICIALLY CONSECRATED BY THE LATE
BELOVED H. H. CATHOLICOS VAZGĒN I IN 1968.
 

ZUART'NOC' [OR ZVARTNOTS WHICH LIT. MEANS BLISSFUL AWAKENING/
DAWN IMPLYING THE PRIMORDIAL HEATHEN NAME OF THE TEMPLE
THAT STOOD BEFORE THE CATHEDRAL WAS ERECTED ON THE VERY SPOT].
OFFICIAL MONTHLY OF THE HOLY CROSS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC
CHURCH OF NEW YORK DURING THE 1920s-1930s.

SOLEMN ORDER

ERECTION OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH OF GREATER DETROIT IN THE 1950s.
ONE OF THE COUNTLESS BREATHTAKING ARMENIAN CHURCHES AND
CATHEDRALS OLD AND NEW ALL OVER THE WORLD...IN UNBROKEN
CONTINUATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL AND SACRED ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE.

AERIAL VIEW OF THE BEAUTIFUL SETTING OF ST. PETER CHURCH IN WATERVLIET.
ONE OF THOUSANDS OF ARMENIAN CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS
THAT ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

ONLY BUT A FEW OF COUNTLESS ARMENIAN CHURCHES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
MANIFESTING THE CREATIVE AND SUBLIME SPIRIT OF THE ARMENIAN SOUL.

THE HUGE ORNAMENTED CENTRAL DOME OF THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY
SEE. TWELVE RADIATING RAYS FROM THE FIXED CENTER THAT HAS
THE HUGE CHANDELIER [SYMB. OF LIGHT/SUN].



VISHAP-DRAGONS [NOTE THE RIGHT AND LEFT WHIRLING SPIRALS AT MOUTHS TIPS]
ON THE PILLARS OF THE INTRICATELY EMBELLISHED BELL TOWER
OF THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL UNITE TO FORM VULVA-EYES.

SECTION OF THE SOUTH-WESTERN FAÇADE OF THE CENTRAL DOME CUPOLA
OF THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL EMBELLISHED WITH SACRED ARMANI PATTERNS
INCLUDING THE INTERWOVEN [FUSED] HERMETIC SERPENTS. HEAVEN + EARTH
UNION AND VULVA-ESQUE POINTED ARCHWAY WINDOWS. TWO PILLARS [ALT.
CIRCLES...] COME TOGETHER TO FORM THE SYNTHESIS TRIUNE PRINCIPLE.



THE TOTALITY OF THE MOTHER CATHEDRAL THROUGH THE VISION COMES ALIVE...
INORGANIC METAMORPHOSIS INTO ORGANIC WHOLENESS... SACRED MANDALA
CAST INTO STONE/DIVINE SPARK OF THE CREATOR.


PATRIARCHAL CROSS OF LORRAINE AT THE TOP CENTER. COLUMNS MARKED
WITH NOTCHED LINES [SERPENTS WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE OF LIFE]
 FACING RIGHT AND LEFT RESPECTIVELY. OAK LEAVES, SWASTIKAS AND
LAYERED CIRCLES INSIDE CIRCLES [THE LOST CONTINENT OF THE GOLDEN AGE]
ADORN THE ARCHES [SCALES/BALANCE] OF THE WINDOWS. NOTE THE SPLIT EIGHT-
POINTED CROSS. MYRIAD OF MANDALAS INCLUDING HEXAGRAMS AND OCTAGRAMS.

SYMBOL OF ATLANTIS AND THE LOST GOLDEN AGE ON THE [RIGHT]
PLACED ON THE WINDOW ARCHES BY THE MASTER BUILDERS.
 

 In 2001 and 2003 -- the 1700 anniversaries of the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the state, and the establishment of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin respectively -- were celebrated in numerous jubilant festivities throughout Armenia.