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Issued: 09/21/2023 Value: € 1.25 Perforation: 14 x 13.25 The stamp shown above was issued by the Vatican City in 2023 to honor the 850th anniversary of the death of Saint Nerses Shnorhali, who died in 1173. Saint Nerses is recognized as a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Armenian Catholic Churches. Born in 1102, little is known about Saint Nerses Shnorhali (Shnorhali meaning “Gracious”) in most Christian denominations, but he played a significant role in the Armenian Church and in Christianity as a whole. Armenian Christianity can be traced back to the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. These Apostles, according to tradition, were martyred in Armenia. In the fourth century (301) Christianity was first proclaimed as the official religion of Armenia. Saint Nerses’ family was made up of princes and eminent Armenian religious. Saint Nerses Shnorhali was a theologian, spiritual author, poet and hymnographer. He influenced the Church by the use of music, writing and poetry. He was also an advocate of Christian unity. He corresponded with most Christian religious denominations in both the Eastern and Western churches. He worked very hard, but was not successful, in trying to unite the Greek and Armenian Churches. His use of language and prayers brought out Christian doctrine that all Christian denominations possessed and that could be understood by the faithful. He was one of the first high level prelates to address the area of ecumenism. He was famous for his 24 prayers for each hour of the day. Shown below is prayer #2. You can see that he provides doctrine within the prayer. “I confess with faith and worship you, References: Saint Nerses Shnorhali - Wikipedia Roman Catholic and Armenian Churches - 850th Anniversary - Armenian Weekly Vatican City Press Release-37/2023, page 59 https://shnorhali.com (English), Prayers for each hour |
