Armenian saint named Doctor of the Church
February 23, 2015
St. Gregory of Narek, an Armenian Catholic monk who lived in what is now Turkey and died in 1005, has been named by Pope Francis a Doctor of the Church.
Born in Narek in 950, St. Gregory spent most of his life in a monastery in his native town. Identified early in life as a promising scholar, he taught at the monastery school and produced many letters, prayers, and commentaries. His most renowned work is the Book of Lamentations, a series of 95 prayers meditating on the quest for union with God.
St. Gregory’s prayers are still used in the liturgy of the Armenian Catholic Church. The monastery where he lived and worked survived for several hundred years, until it was destroyed in the Armenian holocaust.
On February 21, Pope Francis approved a proposal by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to recognize St. Gregory as a Doctor of the Universal Church.
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Further information:
- St. Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Church (VIS)
- Pope Francis declares Armenian saint Doctor of the Church (Vatican Radio)
- Cries From the Heart: Prayers of St. Gregory of Narek (CNEWA)
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