Nerses IV the Gracious Սուրբ Ներսէս Դ. Կլայեցի (Շնորհալի) | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of Nerses IV the Gracious in the 1898 book Illustrated Armenia and Armenians[1] | |
| Installed | 1166 |
| Term ended | August 13, 1173 |
| Predecessor | Gregory III of Cilicia |
| Successor | Gregory IV the Young |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1102 |
| Died | August 13, 1173 |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | Saturday of the Fourth Week of the Holy Cross (mid-October) (Armenian Apostolic Church) 13 August (Roman Catholic Church) |
| Venerated in | Armenian Orthodox Church Armenian Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church |
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Nerses IV the Gracious (Armenian: Սուրբ Ներսէս Դ. Կլայեցի (Շնորհալի); also Nerses Shnorhali, Nerses of Kla or Saint Nerses the Graceful; 1102 – 13 August 1173) was Catholicos of Armenia from 1166 to 1173.
During his time as a bishop and, later, as Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Nerses worked to bring about reconciliation with the Eastern Orthodox Church and convened a council with emissaries selected by the Byzantine emperor himself to discuss how they might be able to reunite the two churches. The terms the emperor offered were, however, unacceptable to both Nerses and the Armenian Church, and the negotiations collapsed.
Nerses is remembered as a theologian, poet, writer and hymn composer.[2] He has been called "the Fénelon of Armenia" for his efforts to draw the Armenian church out of isolation,[3] and has been recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, which holds his feast on August 13, and by the Armenian Apostolic Church, who celebrate him in mid-October on the Saturday of the Fourth Week of the Holy Cross.
- ^ Gaidzakian, Ohan (1898). Illustrated Armenia and the Armenians. Boston. p. 141.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Holding, Nicholas (2006). Armenia with Nagorno Karabagh. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 44.
- ^ Attwater, Donald (1965). The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 248.