The primary religion of the Armenian people is Christianity, specifically the Armenian Apostolic Church. This ancient faith holds a unique place in history: in 301 AD, Armenia became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its official state religion.
The Armenian Apostolic Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox communion, meaning it is not in full doctrinal agreement with the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic Churches. It maintains its own distinct liturgy (conducted in Classical Armenian), theology, and hierarchical structure, led by the Catholicos of All Armenians, currently based at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
For Armenians, the church is not merely a religious institution but a cornerstone of national identity, having preserved the culture and language through centuries of foreign rule and diaspora.