Serapion (Archbishop of Novgorod)
Encyclopedia
Serapion (died March 16, 1516) was Archbishop of Novgorod the Great and Pskov
from 1506 to 1509. He is a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church
; his feast day is March 16 by the Julian calendar
.
Serapion came from the Muscovite village of Pekhorka (now Pekhra-Pokrovskoye within Balashikha
in Moscow Oblast
). He took monastic vows
in the Dubensk Dormition monastery, where he went on to become hegumen. He was subsequently hegumen of the Stromyn Dormition monastery (both cloisters were liquidated in the 18th century), and then became hegumen of the Trinity monastery (now Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
) in 1493.
With the consent of Great Prince
Vasily III
of Moscow
, he was consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod on January 15, 1506, but only served a little over three years. In July 1509, at the Sobor
that considered the conflict between him and Joseph Volotsky
(the latter was under Serapion's episcopal jurisdiction but had directly appealed to Simon
, Metropolitan of Moscow - an act that Serapion deemed to be uncanonical), and his letter of complaint, in which he said Joseph had abandoned heavan (meaning he had abandoned his rightful bishop) and descended to earth. The grand prince took this as a personal insult, that Serapion was claiming the local prince was divinely mandated and Grand Prince Vasilii III was mundane. Serapion was found guilty, removed from office, and confined to the Andronikov monastery
. In 1511, he was freed and spent the rest of his life in the Trinity monastery. He died on March 16, 1516. Sources claim he made peace with Volotsky and others, but there is some evidence that he remained bitter at his removal to the end of his life. After his death, the See of Novgorod remained vacant for 17 years.
Archbishop of Novgorod
The Archbishop of Novgorod is the head of the eparchy of Novgorod the Great and is one of the oldest offices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The archbishops have, in fact, been among the most important figures in medieval Russian history and culture and their successors continued to play...
from 1506 to 1509. He is a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
; his feast day is March 16 by the Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
.
Serapion came from the Muscovite village of Pekhorka (now Pekhra-Pokrovskoye within Balashikha
Balashikha
Balashikha is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pekhorka River east of Moscow. It is known for its unique river and waterway system. The Pekhorka River system covers an area of from north to south and from east to west, and many small lakes and ponds were created by damming to...
in Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
). He took monastic vows
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in the Dubensk Dormition monastery, where he went on to become hegumen. He was subsequently hegumen of the Stromyn Dormition monastery (both cloisters were liquidated in the 18th century), and then became hegumen of the Trinity monastery (now Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to...
) in 1493.
With the consent of Great Prince
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
Vasily III
Vasili III of Russia
Vasili III Ivanovich was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. He was the son of Ivan III Vasiliyevich and Sophia Paleologue and was christened with the name Gavriil...
of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, he was consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod on January 15, 1506, but only served a little over three years. In July 1509, at the Sobor
Sobor
A sobor is a council of bishops together with other clerical and lay delegates representing the church as a whole in matters of importance...
that considered the conflict between him and Joseph Volotsky
Joseph Volotsky
Joseph Volotsky — also known as Joseph of Volotsk or Joseph of Volokolamsk ; secular name Ivan Sanin — was a prominent caesaropapist ideologist of the Russian Orthodox Church who led the party defending monastic landownership.He is a saint ; his memory is celebrated on 9 September and 18...
(the latter was under Serapion's episcopal jurisdiction but had directly appealed to Simon
Simon, Metropolitan of Moscow
Simon was the Metropolitan of Moscow between 1495 and 1511.Simon was a hegumen at the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. In 1495, he was elected Metropolitan of Moscow after the removal of Zosimus on charges of heresy. Simon soon won the respect of Ivan III...
, Metropolitan of Moscow - an act that Serapion deemed to be uncanonical), and his letter of complaint, in which he said Joseph had abandoned heavan (meaning he had abandoned his rightful bishop) and descended to earth. The grand prince took this as a personal insult, that Serapion was claiming the local prince was divinely mandated and Grand Prince Vasilii III was mundane. Serapion was found guilty, removed from office, and confined to the Andronikov monastery
St. Andronik Monastery
Andronikov Monastery of the Saviour is a former monastery on the left bank of the Yauza River in Moscow, consecrated to the Holy Image of Saviour Not Made by Hands and containing the oldest extant building in Moscow...
. In 1511, he was freed and spent the rest of his life in the Trinity monastery. He died on March 16, 1516. Sources claim he made peace with Volotsky and others, but there is some evidence that he remained bitter at his removal to the end of his life. After his death, the See of Novgorod remained vacant for 17 years.