Ordination of a Bishop in the Armenian Church

(Vemkar) - The ceremony for the ordination of a bishop (also known as “consecration”) is one of the more opulent ceremonies of the Armenian Church. It reflects the magnitude of the bishop’s unique ministry in the church. In the Armenian Church the Catholicos presides at all bishops’ ordinations with the participation of at least two additional bishops. The Armenian word for bishop, yebeesgobos, comes directly from the Greek word episkopos, which appears numerous times in the New Testament. The word means “overseer” or “superintendent,” referring to that person appointed to watch over the affairs of the church within a defined geographical jurisdiction or diocese. The prayers of the ordination service frequently refer to the bishop as “chief priest” or “head of the priests” (kahanayabed).

Traditionally the ceremony for ordaining a bishop began with an all-night vigil, continuing into the early morning and concluding with the Holy Badarak. In recent times the long service is divided into two parts beginning on Saturday evening and continuing the next morning. The candidate is formally presented to the Catholicos by one sponsoring bishop and two lay sponsors. The two sponsors represent, respectively, the “rulers” and the “common people.” They ritually proclaim the candidate’s endorsement by every segment of the Armenian community. Next, two-by-two, representatives of every clerical order of the church’s hierarchy from acolyte to archbishop come forward to greet the Catholicos and endorse the candidate’s ordination as a bishop of the church. The evening ceremony continues with a ritual examination of the candidate’s worthiness for the episcopal office.

The Catholicos asks the sponsoring bishop and the candidate himself a series of questions concerning his integrity, personal faith, and readiness to assume the responsibilities of the episcopacy. The candidate is then required publicly to declare his obedience to the teachings of the great saints and teachers of the Armenian Church, who are listed by name. After that he likewise declares his rejection of various false teachings and heretics. Finally, the Catholicos places the omophorion (emeeporon), the distinctive garment of the bishop, over the shoulders of the candidate. With a concluding benediction, the first day’s ceremony concludes. The main ordination sacrament takes place the next morning during the celebration of the Holy Badarak, celebrated by the Catholicos. The Badarak begins as usual with the entrance of the Catholicos, the clergy, deacons and finally the candidate. Before the midday (Jashoo) Scripture readings, the candidate kneels down in front of the Catholicos and a bishop holds the book of the Gospels on the shoulders of the candidate. Meanwhile, the Catholicos places his right hand on the head of the candidate and offers a long prayer, in which he asks the Lord to make him a true shepherd like Christ, who lays down his life for the welfare of his flock (John 10:11).

The candidate, still kneeling, turns toward the people and raises his hands over his head while the hymn of ordination is sung, “The divine and heavenly grace” (Asdvadzayeen yev yergnavor shnorh). This ancient hymn is sung at the ordination of deacons, priests and bishops in every Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church. Repeated three times, the people respond, “He is worthy” (Arzhanee eh). After the third repetition, the candidate turns back toward the Catholicos, who again places his hands on the candidate’s head and offers a second, expansive prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit: “love, faith, meekness, austerity, patience and persistence, so that he may be a living example of every virtue.” The Badarak then continues with the day’s Scripture Readings. Just before the Kiss of Peace, the Badarak pauses again. The Catholicos is seated on a throne, and following a series of prayer petitions by the deacon, he offers a prayer that speaks about the richly embroidered priestly vestments that God instructed Aaron to wear (Exodus 28). The prayer cautions that “the honor of the episcopacy lies not in the vestments, but in a pure heart,” and asks that God grant the new bishop “the grace to have his heart robed in resplendent vestments.” One of the bishops now processes to the altar carrying the silver dove containing the sacred holy chrism or muron. Accompanied by the great hymn of Pentecost, “The Dove Was Sent Down” (Arakelo Aghavno), the Catholicos anoints the forehead of the new bishop. A third prayer ensues, in which the Catholicos asks that as the Holy Spirit came down upon Christ at his baptism, and upon the apostles in the Upper Room, the same Spirit may fill the new bishop with God’s life-giving graces.

The Catholicos then places the bishop’s staff into the hands of the candidate, a sign of his authority as a good shepherd of his flock. Next, the Catholicos places the bishop’s ring on the little finger of the candidate’s right hand, “a token of earnest commitment…as a faithful groom of the holy church.” Finally, the Catholicos hands the candidate the book of the Gospels, charging him always to preach boldly the Good News of God’s undying love for us frail humans.

The ordination concludes with the reading of the Holy Gospel according to Mark 6:7-13, where Jesus gives instructions to the apostles and sends them out into the world to do God’s work. During the singing of “Christ Has Been Revealed Among Us” (Kreesdos ee mech mer haydnetsav), the Catholicos, bishops and all the clergy greet the new bishop and one another with a holy kiss and the Badarak resumes. At the end of the Badarak all the faithful are invited to greet the new bishop by kissing his right hand in Christian love, unity and joy.

This coming Sunday, October 8, Catholicos Karekin II will celebrate an Episcopal Consecration service, wherein he will ordain several new bishops for the Armenian Church. Among those receiving the sacrament of episcopal ordination will be our Primate, the Very Reverend Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan.