(2.) The A rmeninn Rite. — The Church of Rome began to gain a firm footing among the Armenians at the time of the crusades. See Armenian Church. Although the bulk of the nation always continued averse to a union with Rome, considerable numbers accepted the union, and, retaining the rites of the national Church,
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were organized into a United Armenian Church. The Mecliilarists (q. v.) have gained for this ecclesiastical Cdmmuiiity a greater literary distinction than can be claimed by any other Oriental communi<in. In regard to their political rights, the Uniteil Armenians were sub- ject to the jurisdiction of tlie patriarch of the National Armenian Church until poi)e Tins YIII, in 1^30, suc- ceeded, with the aid of France and Austria, in making them independent. He erected at Constantinople the see of an archbishop-primate for the Catholic Armeni- ans, who was to be immediately subject to the holy see. At the appointment of the tirst iirimate the pojie ap- pears to have taken into consideration the national wishes, and to have conceded to them the right to pro- pose three candidates for the vacant see, from whom the pope chose one. In 1845 the pope appointed Anthony Hassun as successor of the primate, without consulting the nation. By a brief of April 30, 1850, jwpe Pius IX erected the towns of Ancyra, Artvin, Brousa, Erzrum, Ispahan, and Trel)izond into episcopal sees of the United Armenians, and made them suffragans of the Armenian archbishop of Constantinople. The same brief appoint- ed the bishops of these sees without consulting the na- tion. The United Armenian nation gave its consent to the establishment of the sees, but refused to recognise the bishops, because they had not previously been con- sulted. After some time, they yielded this point also, in order to prevent a schism; and the Turkish govern- ment, through the mediation of France, gave to the new bishops the necessary bcrat. When the pope estab- lished the see of an archbishop-primate at Constantino- ple, it was intended to confer upon him also the secular jurisdiction over the Catholic Armenians; but the Porte did not recognise the primate, and clothed, by a herat of 1831, a jiriest of the Ortler of Mechitarists with the prafectura mitionalis. At the request of the French ambassador, after some time, a patriarch was appointed, but w-ithout any ecclesiastical functions, and having only those secular rights which are connected w^ith the of- fices of the Greek and the Gregorian-Armenian patri- archs. The patriarch was to be elected by the United Armenian community, and to be conlirmed by the Porte. He was to be assisted by a council of administration consisting of twelve members, who were likewise to be elected by the nation and to be confirmed by the Porte. The berut given to the patriarch extended his jurisdic- tion over all the United Eastern churches; but, in con- sequence of the religious controversies and inner dissen- sions which arose, the patriarch lost the right to repre- sent the other Catholic nationalities at the Porte, and this right passed over to the vekil of the Latins. In ]866 Hassun, the archbishop-primate of Constantinople, was elected also patriarch of Cilicia, and assumed as such the name Anthony Peter IX. Thus for the first time the highest ecclesiastical dignity of the United Armenians, the patriarchate of Cilicia, was united in one person with the civil headship of the United Arme- nian nation which was attached to the office of the pri- mate of Constantinople. Simultaneously with confirm- ing the new patriarch, pope Pius IX, in Jul}', I8()7, issued the bull Revermriis, which abolished the rights that hitherto the United Armenians had enjoyed with re- gard to the election of their patriarch and their bishops, and reserved fur the pope rights liitherto not exercised by him. The opposition which at once manifested it- self against this bull led in 1870 to an open schism. The opponents secured the assistance of the Turkish government; Hassun was exiled from Constantinople and from Turkey, and Kupelian chosen in his stead pa- triarch of the United Armenians. Besides, a number of bishops sympathizing with Kupelian were appoint- ed for United Armenian dioceses. Notwithstanding re- peated excommunications by Pome, the party headed iiy Kupelian remained in opposition to the pope, and assumed a position similar to that of the Old Catholics in Western Europe. The Kupelians continued for many years to enjoy the patronage and active support of the
Turkish government, but never succeeded in bringing over to tlieir side the majority of the United Armenian laity. In 187G a general amnesty, granted by the new sultan, JMurad, on his accession to tlie throne, |)ermitted Hassun to return to Constantinople. The schism con- tinued, however, until 1879, when the ett(>rts made by the papal delegates and the ambassador of France se- cured the submission of Kupelian and the other bishops of the o|)])osition, and the entire end of the schism.
(3.) Other United Oriental Rites. — The Roman Cath- olic C'hurch has also gained over the entire tribe of the Maronites, as well as portions of the Nestorians and the Jacobites in Asia, and of the Copts in Egypt. The United Nestorians are generally called Chaldeans, while the United Jacobites are designated United Syrians. These United Orientals have already been referred to in the articles Maronites; Cn.vi.DiiANS; Copts; Jac- obites. The aggregate number of these religious de- nominations is not large. The number of Chaldeans (inclusive of the congregations in Persia) is estimated at from 20,000 to 30,000, tliat of the Syrians at from 9000 to 30,000, that of the Copts at 10,000. From 1870 to 1879 almost the entire community of the Chaldeans, including their patriarch, Andu, and all their bishops, was in a state of open rebellion against Rome. The pa- triarch desired to extend his jurisdiction over the Chris- tians of St. Thomas in British India, who, like the Chal- deans, are United Nestorians, and number about 100,000. Iiome objected to this, desiring the Christians of St. Thomas to remain as heretofore under the jurisdiction of the vicar apostolic of Verapoli, who is of the Latin rite. The Chaldeans, moreover, protested against a Roman bull, issued in 18G9, which forbade the patriarch to ordain bishops without the previous approbation of the pope. The Chaldeans had possessed and exercised this right from the time when they joined the com- munion of Rome, and they denied the right of the pope to abolish it without their consent. The patriarch and the bishops long resisted all the eiforts made by Rome, One of their bishops visited India and prevailed upon a large portion of the Christians of St. Thomas to place themselves under his jurisdiction, and withdraw from that of the Latin vicar apostolic of Verapoli. At length, however, they relented in their resistance; and, after the death of patriarch Andu, the pope succeeded, in 1879, in securing the submission of the Chaldeans, and in the election of a new patriarch who declared himself will- ing to concede all the demands made by Rome. .See Thojias (St.), Cukistians of.