After a
novitiate of two years, monks take the usual
religious vows, along with a
fourth vow – "to give obedience to the preceptor or master deputed by their superior to teach them the dogmas of the Catholic Faith". Many of them vow themselves also to missionary work in Armenia, Persia and Turkey, where they live on alms and wear as a badge, beneath the tunic, a cross of red cloth, on which are certain letters signifying their desire to shed their blood for the Catholic faith. They promise on oath to work together in harmony so that they may the better win the schismatics back to God. They elect an abbot for life, who has the power to dismiss summarily any of his monks who should prove disorderly. They wear the beard, Oriental fashion, and have a black habit: tunic, cloak and hood. In an engraving, the Mekhitarist would be indistinguishable from a
friar of the
Order of St. Augustine, except for his beard. The Mekhitarists at first followed the rule attributed to
Anthony the Great, but when they settled in the West modifications from the
Rule of Saint Benedict were introduced. The use of the Rule of Saint Benedict represented the introduction of Western monasticism into the East, where up to this time a monk had no duty or vocation but to fill his place in the monastery and save his soul in the cloister, having broken off all relations with the outside world and had no idea of performing any works other than his choir duties, prayers, fastings, and the monastic observance. Under the Rule of Saint Benedict, a monk would be expected to devote himself to some useful work and take some thought of his neighbour. This adoption of the rule was desired by Mekhitar and his monks, having a desire to devote themselves to apostolic work among their schismatic brethren, to instruct their ignorance, excite their devotion and bring them back into the communion with the
Catholic Church. At the same time, it also offered security against lapsing into apathy and inactivity. Missionaries, writers and educationists, devoted to the service of their Armenian brethren wherever they might be found, such are these Benedictines of the Eastern Church. Their subjects usually enter the convent at an early age, eight or nine years old, receive in it their elementary schooling, spend about nine years in philosophical and theological study, at the canonical age of twenty-five, if sufficiently prepared, are ordained priests by their bishop-abbot, and are then employed by him in the various enterprises of the order. First, there is the work of the mission – not the conversion of the heathen, but priestly ministry to the Armenian communities settled in most of the commercial centres of Europe. With this is joined, where needed and possible, the apostolate of union with Rome. Next there is the education of the Armenian youth and, associated with this, the preparation and publication of good and useful Armenian literature. Their work has been fourfold: • they have brought out editions of important early Christian works, some Armenian, others translated into
Armenian from
Greek and
Syriac originals no longer extant; • until the late 20th century they printed and circulated Armenian literature among the Armenians, thereby exercising a powerful educational influence; • they have founded primary and secondary schools in various locations, four of which are still operational:
Pangaltı Ermeni İlköğretim Okulu ve Lisesi in Istanbul, founded in 1825; in Beirut, founded in 1930; in Buenos Aires founded in 1956; and in Los Angeles, founded in 1979; • they work as
Eastern Catholic missionaries in Armenia.
Literary and artistic activities Mekhitar is credited for initiating the study of the Armenian writings of the fourth and fifth centuries, which has resulted in the development and adoption of a
Classical Armenian literary language, nearly as distinct from the
vulgar tongue as
Latin is from
Italian. This provided modern Armenian with a literary connection to its ancient past and literature. Mekhitar's versions of
The Imitation of Christ and the
Bible began the series of translations of great books, continued unceasingly during two centuries, and ranging from the early
Fathers of the Church and the works of
Thomas Aquinas (one of their first labors) to
Homer and
Virgil and the best known poets and historians of later days. Ariel Agemian illustrated the
Imitation and contributed several major portraits of Mekhitarist monks and religious scenes. He is also known for documenting the Turkish Massacre from his own recollections. At one period, in connexion with their Vienna house, there existed an association for the propagation of Catholic books, which is said to have distributed nearly a million volumes, and printed and published six new works each year. To him also they owe the guidance of their first steps in exegesis – the branch of learning in which they have won most distinction – and the kindred studies of the liturgy and the religious history of their country. At San Lazzaro he founded the printing press from which the most notable of their productions have been issued, and commenced there the collection of Armenian manuscripts for which their library has become famous. To any but members of the order the history of the Mekhitarists will seem uneventful because of the quiet plodding along ancient traditional paths, and the fidelity to the spirit and ideals of their founder. Principally by means of the Mekhitarists' innumerable periodicals, pious manuals, Bibles, maps, engravings, dictionaries, histories, geographies and other contributions to educational and popular literature they have served Catholicism among the Armenian nation. The following are the most valuable of their contributions to the common cause of learning. Firstly the recovery, in ancient Armenian translations, of some lost works of the
Church Fathers. Among them may be noted
Letters (thirteen) of St. Ignatius of Antioch and a fuller and more authentic "History of the Martyrdom of St. Ignatius"; some works of
Ephrem the Syrian, notably a sort of "Harmony of the Gospels" and a "Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul"; an edition of
Eusebius's
Ecclesiastical History. The publication of these works is due to the famous Mekhitarist Pascal Aucher, who was assisted in the last of them by
Cardinal Mai. Pascal Aucher (Harut'iwn Awgerian: 1774–1855) also became Lord Byron's tutor in Armenian, and his "spiritual pastor and master". Aucher also translated "Armenian Missal" (Tübingen, 1845) and "" (Venice, 1534) into German, and Paradise Lost into Armenian (1824). Two original historical works may also be noted: "The History of Armenia", by
Mikayel Chamchian (1784–1786) and the "" by Sukias Somal (Venice, 1829). The monks work to promote both Catholicism and Armenian patriotism. Their goals include the preservation of Armenian language and literature. Individually, the monks are distinguished by their linguistic accomplishments, and the Vienna establishment has attracted attention by the institution of a Literary Academy, which confers honorary membership without regard to race or religion. == See also ==