Pope Francis to Unveil Statue of Armenian St. Gregory of Narek in the Vatican

• 03.03.2018, 20:01
•  Europe,  World,  Armenia

On April 5, the Vatican will unveil a statue of St. Gregory of Narek, in the presence of Pope Francis, His Holiness Karekin II, and Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian.

Representing Catholicos Karekin II, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, and the Very Reverend Fr. Shahe Ananyan, Ecumenical Relations director of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, traveled to the Vatican this week to discuss the upcoming ceremony that will honor the Armenian saint, ''The Armenian Weekly'' reports. 

The 10th-century Armenian monk and mystical poet was approved by the Pope as a Doctor of the Church in Feb. 2015. 

Armenians have long revered Narek as the author of the collection known as the Book of Lamentations, among other spiritual treasures.

St. Gregory lived around 950 to 1005 and is regarded as one of the most significant figures of medieval Armenian religious thought. The Book of Lamentations, commonly referred to simply as the Narek, is a mystical poem in 95 sections, and is considered his most important work.