Page 183 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

184 The Armenian Church

turies. With the coming of the Crusades and
the establishment of a Latin Patriarchate in
Jerusalem in 1099, relations between the
Armenian Church in Cilicia and the Catholic
Church became more formal. In these re-
lations, the Armenians, as a minority sur-
rounded by non-Christian powers, sought
political assistance and ecumenical solidarity,
while the Latins aimed at expanding and
solidifying their presence in the east, their
ultimate goal being the reunion of the
Christian east and west under the umbrella
of Rome. The attitude of Armenian political
and religious leaders towards the Latins
was generally favorable because they hoped
to gain their politico-military support. How-
ever, after the downfall of the Armenian
Kingdom of Cilicia, the Latinization efforts of
Rome became more offensive and the Ar-
menians became more vigilant.
Before the Vatican II Council (1961-4),
relations between the Armenian Church and
the Church of Rome were cordial but
cautious. Vatican II ushered in a new period
of ecumenical engagement in the history of
the Catholic Church. Through bilateral theo-
logical dialogues, membership in regional
and national ecumenical councils, and mu-
tual visitations, the Catholic Church took a
number of significant steps to broaden its
ecumenical relations, particularly with the
Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches.