Illustration of an Armenian monk from 1779.

The Armenian Rite is an independent liturgy. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions This rite is used by both the Armenian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Catholic Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan (Refer to List of Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia) The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church Sui juris within The liturgy of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who is the founder and patron saint of The Armenian Church, is patterned. Saint Gregory the Illuminator or Saint Gregory the Enlightener (Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ translit Unlike the Byzantine Church, churches of the Armenian rite are usually devoid of icons and have a curtain concealing the priest and the altar from the people during parts of the liturgy, an influence from early apostolic times. The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions The use of bishop's mitre and of unleavened bread, is reminiscent of the influence Western missionaries once had upon both the miaphysite Orthodox Armenians as well as upon the Armenian Rite Catholics. The mitre (sometimes also spelled miter from the Greek μίτρα, 'headband' or 'turban' is a type of headgear now known as the traditional ceremonial head-dress of Miaphysitism (sometimes called henophysitism) is the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches

See also

• Oriental Orthodox Churches
• Eastern Catholic Churches

External links

• New Catholic Dictionary: Armenian Rite