Page 59 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

60 The Armenian Church

conciliar, and functional organs of the Ar-
menian Church took definite form in the
19th Century with the creation of two con-
stitutions, the polojenie in 1836 by Russia
for the Armenian Church in Armenia, and
the National Constitution in 1863 by the
Ottoman-Turkish government for the Ar-
menian Church in the Ottoman Empire. In
Armenia, the participation of laity in church
affairs was greatly reduced; while the Ot-
toman authorities increased and extended
the role of the laity in church affairs and
decision-making. The same pattern continues
in both cases. The decision-making structure
of the Holy See of St. Etchmiadzin is largely
based on the polojenie and as a result it has,
rather, a clergy-centered administration and
decision-making process; only a few of its
dioceses in the diaspora follow the basic
principles of the National Constitution. The
conciliar structures and decision-making
process of the Holy See of Cilicia, including
its dioceses, are more laity-centered, and are
exclusively based on the National Constitution.

The following system of decision-making
is practiced by the Holy See of Cilicia and by
the dioceses under its jurisdiction:
– The National Representative Assembly
is constituted on the basis of one-third
clergy and two-thirds lay delegates. The
Diocesan National Representative Assem-