There was also a Caucasian Albanian Catholicos Nerses I, who ruled in 689–706, and a Patriarch Nerses I of Constantinople, who ruled in 1704.
Saint Nerses
Born
Fourth century
Died
373
Venerated in
Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Church Anglican Communion
Feast
19 November[1]
Nerses I the Great (Armenian: Ներսէս Ա Մեծ, romanized: Nersēs I Mets; died c. 373), also known as Nerses the Parthian (Ներսէս Պարթև, Nersēs Part'ev), was an Armenian Catholicos (or Patriarch) who lived in the fourth century. He was the son of At'anagines and the Arsacid princess Bambishn, a sister of King Tiran and a daughter of King Khosrov III. His paternal grandfather was Catholicos Husik, whose paternal grandfather was Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Church.
Nerses spent his youth in Caesarea, where he received a Hellenistic education and married a Mamikonian princess called Sandukht. Sandukht bore Nerses a son called Sahak (Isaac), who would later become Catholicos. After the death of his wife, he was appointed sword-bearer (senekapet) to Arsacid king Arshak II. A few years later, having entered the ecclesiastical state, he was elected Catholicos probably in 353 and confirmed in the office in Caesarea in accordance with tradition.
His patriarchate marks a new era in Armenian history. Until that point, the Church had been more or less identified with the royal family and the nobles; Nerses brought it into closer connection with the people. At the Council of Ashtishat (c. 356) he promulgated numerous laws on marriage, fast days, and divine worship. Among other things, the council forbade people to marry their first cousin and forbade mutilation and other extreme actions in mourning. Nerses built schools, hospitals, leprosaria and poor houses and sent monks throughout the land to preach the Gospel.[2]
Nerses's relations with Arshak II, however, soon deteriorated. Some of the Catholicos's reforms drew upon him the king's displeasure. Nerses also clashed with Arshak over the latter's extermination of certain Armenian noble houses.[3] In approximately 358 (possibly earlier), Nerses was sent to Constantinople to escort Arshak's bride Olympias to Armenia. Arshak, like his father, pursued a pro-Arian policy, which led to a falling out with Catholicos Nerses.[4] According to the 5th-century historian Faustus of Byzantium, Nerses never again appeared at Arshak's court after the king ordered the murder of his own nephew, Gnel, in defiance of the Catholicos's exhortations.[5] Nerses was exiled for some nine years along with other anti-Arian bishops,[5] supposedly to Edessa. It was probably at some point during the latter part of Arshak's reign that Nerses went to Constantinople to ensure the emperor's support of Armenia against the Persians. According to Faustus of Byzantium, the Roman emperor Valens became outraged at Nerses condemning his following of the teachings of Arius and sent Nerses into exile.
Upon the accession of pro-Arian king Pap (Papas) in 369/370, Nerses returned to his see. Nerses undertook the reconstruction of Armenian churches and monasteries that had been destroyed during the Persian occupation of Armenia and strove toward the elimination of Zoroastrian influence in the country.[3] The classical Armenian historians write that Papas proved a dissolute and unworthy ruler and Nerses forbade him entrance to the church. Other historians believe that Nerses tried to bring the young king under his control using his considerable influence and with the help of some Armenian princes, prompting Pap to dissolve the Patriarch's benevolent institutions and confiscate holdings belonging to the Church.[3] According to Faustus of Byzantium and Movses Khorenatsi, Papas invited Nerses to his table under the pretence of seeking reconciliation and reportedly poisoned him in 373.[3][6] According to another theory, Nerses died of an illness of the lungs that he had contracted early in his life.[3] Pap appointed Nerses's successor without the approval of Caesarea, which refused to recognize the bishop's authority.[6]
^Attwater, Donald (1965) The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 248
^Garsoïan 1997, p. 88.
^ abcdeHarutʽyunyan 1982. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHarutʽyunyan1982 (help)
(Armenian: Ներսէս Ա Մեծ, romanized: NersēsI Mets; died c. 373), also known as Nerses the Parthian (Ներսէս Պարթև, Nersēs Part'ev), was an Armenian Catholicos...
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initial successes, Pap came into conflict with Patriarch Nerses. According to Faustus, Nerses constantly reprimanded Pap for his sinful behavior and refused...
consecrated bishop of Armenia by Leontius of Caesarea. Until the death of NersesI in the late fourth century, Gregory's successors would go to Caesarea to...
Nerses IV the Gracious (Armenian: Սուրբ Ներսէս Դ. Կլայեցի (Շնորհալի); also Nerses Shnorhali, Nerses of Kla or Saint Nerses the Graceful; 1102 – 13 August...
Ա. Անեցի Gregory III of Cilicia (1113–1166) -- Գրիգոր Գ. Պահլաւունի St. Nerses IV the Graceful (1166–1173) -- Սբ. Ներսէս Դ. Կլայեցի (Շնորհալի) Gregory...
Saint NersesI the Great replaced Sahak I. However, according to the History of the Armenians of Movses Khorenatsi, Sahak I succeeded Saint NersesI the...
Nerse (Georgian: ნერსე, also spelled Nerses), of the Nersianid family, was a ruling prince of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from c. 760 to 772 and...
Daniel I of Armenia, in which, he succeeded him in c. 348. He reigned for 5 years until his death on c. 352 and was succeeded by St. NersesI the Great...
dynasty St. NersesI the Great (353–373) -- Սբ. Ներսես Ա Մեծ (Պարթև) Albaniosid dynasty Sahak I (373–377) -- Սահակ Ա Մանազկերտցի Zaven I (377–381) --...
Holy Etchmiadzin and renamed as Surb Nerses Mets Medical Center, after the Catholicos of All Armenians NersesI of the 4 the century. In 2013, the center...
Roger M. "ʿAbbās I". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 8 August 2023. Savory, R. M. (13 July 2011). "ʿABBĀS I". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. I. pp. 71–75. Retrieved...
Melkisetek II Mkhitar I Melkisetek II Yeprem I Avedik I Kalust Gaydzag INersesI Avedik I Mardidros III Mickael I Sahag I Hovhannes VII Sahag I Hovhannes VIII...
of All Armenians Vazken I and given the priestly name of Nerses. In 1962, upon the successful defense of his thesis, Nerses received the rank of Archimandrite...
saint (b. 306) Huan Wen (or Yuanzi), Chinese general and regent (b. 312) NersesI (the Great), Armenian catholicos (or patriarch) Sun Sheng, Chinese historian...
neighborhood of Istanbul. The first Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople was Hovakim I, who was at the time the Metropolitan of Bursa. In 1461, he was brought to...
OLYMPIAS REGINA or of queen Olympias. The reigning Armenian Catholicos St. NersesI, was sent by Arsaces II from Armenia to bring Olympias from Constantinople...
1908–1910. He succeeded Mkrtich I Khrimian (better known as Khrimian Hayrik), who reigned as Catholicos from 1892 to 1907. Matthew I was born in 1845 in Istanbul...
strongly in favor of Arianism, which led to a falling out with Catholicos Nerses. Nerses was eventually exiled for around nine years along with other anti-Arian...
Nerses Varzhapetian (Armenian: Ներսէս Բ Վարժապետեան Կոստանդնուպոլսեցի) served as the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople between 1874 and 1884. He oversaw...
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the reigning Catholicos St. NersesI. The church was totally alienated from the royal court of Arsaces II and St. NersesI was not seen again in the royal...
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century and/or Category:Christian saints by nationality. Top A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z Michael Raphael Gabriel The Holy Innocents (1...