Holiday in Odzun

The Day of Hovhannes Imastaser His Holiness Odzneci was celebrated in the village Odzun on March 10. Many Christians took part in the Divine Liturgy held in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and then visited Ardvi Srbanes monastery, where St. Hovhannes Imastaser is buried.

34th Armenian Catholicos Hovhannes Odznetsi (VII-VIII century) - a big thinker, reformer, theologian and lawyer is one of the saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For his excellent education and the breadth of interests, he was called "Imastaser" (Wise). Many historians -Asoghik, Kirakos Gandzaketsi and others left evidences on that in their works. They describe Hovhannes Odznetsi as "a wise man with beautiful and divine body and soul. As a social and religious figure Hovhannes Odznetsi, thanks to his diplomatic abilities, did everything possible to improve the situation of the people of Armenia which was under the authority of the Arab Caliphate. Over 11 years of his reign (717-728), Catholicos did everything to keep the absolute integrity and strict hierarchy of the Armenian Church.

Through a national church policy, Catholicos Hovhannes Odznetsi sought to raise and strengthen the vitality of the Armenian society and statehood.

Hovhannes Odznetsi is the author of dozens of psalms, many of which are still performed in the Armenian churches. He owns a number of works on the order of worship in the Armenian Apostolic Church, the performance of rituals, etc. However, the chief work of his life is "The Book of Canons" which is a systematic set of canonical statutes. In fact it is the first collection Armenian Church laws, combining the canons of world and local churches.