Pope
Francis declares Armenian saint Doctor of the Church
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has declared Armenian poet and
monk, Saint Gregory of Narek, a Doctor of the Universal Church. Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for
the Cause of Saints on Saturday ahead of his departure for Aricca on Lenten
retreat, the Pope confirmed the proposal put forward by the Plenary Session of
the Congregation to confer the title of Doctor of the Universal Church on the 10th century
saint.
St. Gregory of Narek
is widely revered as one of the greatest figures of medieval Armenian religious
thought and literature. Born in the city of Narek in about 950 A.D., St.
Gregory came from a line of scholars and churchmen.
St. Gregory received
his education under the guidance of his father, Bishop Khosrov, author of the
earliest commentary on the Divine Liturgy, and from Anania Vartabed, abbotof
Narek Monastery. He and his two brothers entered monastic life at an early age,
and St. Gregory soon began to excel in music, astronomy, geometry, mathematics,
literature, and theology.
He became a priest at
the age of 25 and dedicated himself to God. He lived most of his life in the
monastery of Narek, where he taught at the monastic school. St. Gregory began
his writings with a commentary on the “Song of Songs,” which was commissioned
by an Armenian prince. Despite his reservations that he was too young for the
task, the commentary became famous for its clarity of thought and language and
its excellence of theological presentation.
He also wrote a number
of famous letters, sharagans, treasures, odes, melodies,
and discourses. Many of his prayers are included in the Divine Liturgy
celebrated each Sunday in Armenian Churches around the world.
St. Gregory’s
masterpiece is considered to be his Book
of Lamentations. Also known as Narek, it is comprised
of 95 prayers, each of which is titled “Conversation with God from the depth of
the heart.” A central theme is man’s separation from God, and his quest to
reunite with Him. St. Gregory described the work this way: “Its
letters like my body, its message like my soul.” He called his book an
“encyclopedia of prayer for all nations.” It was his hope that it would
serve as a guide to prayer for people all over the world. After the advent of
movable type, the book was published in Marseille in 1673, and has been translated
into at least 30 languages.
St. Gregory of Narek
is remembered by the Armenian Church in October of each year.
(Emer McCarthy)
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