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82 The Armenian Church

teachings. Armenian theology was elaborated
and its doctrine shaped on the basis of the
first three ecumenical councils.
An ecumenical council is the meeting of
the whole church, expressing the common
mind of the church. The ecumenical council
is guided by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, it
is infallible and its doctrinal pronouncements
and canons are binding. The ecumenical
councils were held to anathemize heresies
that threaten the faith of the church, to define
and proclaim the true faith, and to safeguard
the unity of the church. The Nicene-Constan-
tinopolitan Creed is the basis of the Armenian
Church's theological and doctrinal teachings;
and it is solemnly sung at every eucharistic
celebration. The Armenian Church also uses
two more creeds, the Profession of the Orthodox
Faith, which is a combination of the Atha-
nasian and Nicene Creeds, and is usually
read at the very beginning of the Night
Hours on Sunday, Sunrise Hours, and during
the ordination of priests and bishops. The
second creed is the summary of the Apostles'
Creed, which is recited at the beginning of the
sacrament of baptism.
In order to better understand the essen-
tials of the faith of the Armenian Church, it
is important to take a brief look at the teach-
ings of the first three ecumenical councils
and spell out the doctrinal attitude of the
Armenian Church.