Catholic Church in Armenia

The Catholic Church in Armenia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The 2011 census counted 13,843 Catholics in Armenia, representing about 0.46% of the total population.[1] Catholics in Armenia belong to two particular churches, the Latin Rite or Western Rite (which includes the vast majority of Catholics worldwide) and the Armenian Catholic Church.

Territorial jurisdictions and dioceses

Catholics in Armenia are divided into two separate territorial jurisdictions. Latin Rite Catholics are part of an Apostolic Administration, the Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus, and Armenian Rite Catholics belonging to the Armenian Catholic Church are part of an ordinariate for the faithful of eastern rite, which also includes Armenian Catholic Church members in Eastern Europe.

Within Armenia

The Catholics have always lived somewhat separate from the communities of Armenian Apostolic Church (an Oriental Orthodox Church that includes most Armenians as members), and intermarriage is not very common. Some of the Apostolics refer to the Armenian Catholics as "Franks," because of the influence of French Catholic missionaries.[2]

The traditional home of Armenian Catholics is the Shirak Province, specifically 7 villages including: Arevik, Panik, Lanjik, Azatan, Dzithankov, Mets Sepasar, Ashotsk. In the Lori Province, Catholics live in 6 localities: Tashir, Katnarat, Katnaghbyur, Petrovka, Saratovka, Blagodarnoye.

The few Poles left in Armenia along with some new immigrants who are Catholics (Latin Rite) live in Yerevan.

See also

References and footnotes

  1. "Population Census 2011: Population (urban, rural) by Ethnicity, Sex and Religious Belief" (PDF). armstat.am. National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia.
  2. "A New Start for Armenia's Catholics". National Statistical Institute. 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-03.

External links


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