Peter I of Armenia

Who is Peter I of Armenia?

Catholicos Peter I Ketadarz was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1019 and 1058. He was the brother of a former Catholicos Khachig I. He was the author of several works of sermons, anthems, and elegies on early Christian martyrs.

He was surnamed Ketadarz because he was said to have miraculously turned the current of a river toward its source. In later years Peter moved to Sebastia but later returned to Ani, at which point he was viewed with suspicious due to his long time away. He was induced to retire to Vaspurakan and remained shut up in a convent for four years in the early 1030s. The king appointed Deoskoros, abbot of Sanahin, as the new pontiff but the bishops would not recognize his authority. Deoskoros named a number of people described by historian Michael Chamich as "low" and "vile" to the priesthood and reinstated bishops who had been expelled for vices. This caused great disorder within the church and the clergy declared the king and other supporters of Deoskoros as anathema. To avoid this the king sent for Catholicos Peter to restore him to the pontifical chair. Deoskoros and those he appointed were defrocked.