Page 119 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

120 The Armenian Church

The ordination of priests (celibate or
married) or bishops consists of two parts.
The first part is the dedication, which, in the
case of priests, is held on the eve of the day
of ordination. The celebrant – the catholicos
in the case of episcopal ordination, a bishop
in the case of deacon or priest – sits near the
altar. The guide of the candidate (xartavilak)
leads him on his knees from the main door
of the church near to the celebrant who
checks whether the candidate possesses the
full knowledge proper to a minister of the
church, whether he is orthodox in his faith,
and whether his deeds are praiseworthy and
his life virtuous. The guide testifies on be-
half of the candidate. Then the celebrant,
referring to the fundamentals of the faith
and doctrine of the church in general and
the Armenian Church in particular, asks
whether the candidate accepts the first three
ecumenical councils and the teachings of the
orthodox fathers, and whether he anathe-
mizes the heretics and heresies, (mentioning
all by name), and vows to follow the ortho-
dox faith. In the case of a bishop, this part
of the ceremony is more elaborate and the
requirements more strict. The Profession of
the Orthodox Faith is read by the candidate
followed by a solemn oath to remain faithful
to the teachings and traditions of the Ar-
menian Church and (in the case of a celibate
priest and bishop) to follow the principles of