A symposium dedicated to the 850th anniversary of the passing of St. Nerses the Gracious (Shnorhali) was held on May 26th, under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and organized by the Cilicia library.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I addressed the closing session and summarized the legacy of St. Nerses in three key endeavors: reorganizing and revitalizing the church; ecumenical relations; and state-church relations. The Catholicos gave a detailed account of the efforts of the saint towards the unity of the Church and stated that to evaluate St. Nerses’ life and work one must use a holistic approach taking into consideration the unique political and cultural reality of the Cilician Armenia.
Five papers were presented in the symposium. V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian presented the pastoral life of the saint, Prof. Vahe Torossian discussed the role of St. Nerses in state-church relations, H.E. Arch. Shahan Sarkissian presented Nerses the Gracious through his interpretation of religious texts, H.E. Arch. Nareg Elemezian talked about his ecumenical efforts and H.E. Arch. Gomidas Ohanian presented the work of the saint in hymns and rites.
The opening remarks were addressed by V. Rev. Fr. Arakel Kadehjian, assistant to the director of Cilicia Museum.
It is noteworthy that the seminarians participated in the symposium by singing hymns in between sessions.
