These Fathers were men renowned for their virtuous lives and virtuous character, canonized by the Church and recognized as great fathers of the Universal Church, authoritative interpreters of Holy Scripture, and guardians of the Orthodox Christian faith. The most important focus of the Twelve Fathers’ work was the preservation and transmission of the Orthodox faith from generation to generation.
Since the inception of Christianity, there have been heresies and schisms whose followers, by misinterpreting and distorting the Word of God, have formed false ideas and erroneous teachings concerning the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine. However, unlike them, the Twelve Fathers of the Church, understanding Divine Revelation in its entirety, provided a correct interpretation of key doctrinal tenets and principles, developing ecclesiastical theology within the framework of Orthodoxy.
The role and significance of the Twelve Patriarchs are more important today than ever before for our society, which has been infiltrated by arbitrary interpreters of Holy Scripture, who impose their false notions and concepts of the Word of God on the children of our nation, leading them not only away from the true path to salvation, but also away from our national consciousness, away from thinking shaped by the Orthodox interpretation of the Bible, and thus away from our national identity and image. Therefore, this holiday is another opportunity for us to appreciate the rich legacy left by our ancestors, while remaining faithful to our Church and the radiant faith of the Holy Fathers of the Church of Christ.
The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church honors the memory of the Twelve Holy Patriarchs on the Saturday following the Sixth Sunday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.