Meeting of Armenian Church Liturgical Committee

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
12/3/2011

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, the second meeting of the Liturgical Committee of the Armenian Church was held in Antelias from March 7 to 10. Comprising the committee from the Catholicosate of All Armenians are: His Grace Bishop Arshak Khatchatrian (Co-chairman), His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahian and Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Hovhannisian, and from the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia – His Eminence Archbishop Komitas Ohanian (Co-chairman), His Eminence Archbishop Gegham Khacherian and Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian .

During the first meeting held in August of 2010 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the committee outlined issues on the sacrament of Baptism. During the second meeting, the committee continued their work and discussed at length the comparative forms of the original texts of the Holy Sacraments taken from early manuscripts and from the Book of Liturgies prepared by Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Hovhannisian. The discussions resulted in the adoption of a combined text for Baptism.

The committee also outlined canonical, admonition, teaching and moral issues on the Sacrament of Baptism. During the second day of the meeting, the committee discussed the issues on learning the faith requirements of the baptized, the responsibilities of the Godfather and other related issues. The topic of the third session centered on the canonical issues of the Sacrament of Baptism. Within the scope of that topic, the committee reflected on the issues of the canonical conditions of baptism, ritual of the sacrament of baptism sacrament and the age of the baptized.

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