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Gavrilo I Rajić (died 1659) was Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch between 1648 and 1655. He was murdered by Turks and therefore celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church as a hieromartyr. His feast day is celebrated on December 13.
Gavrilo I Rajić Гаврило И Рајић | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch | |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Church | Serbian Orthodox Church |
| See | Patriarchal Monastery of Peć |
| Installed | 1648 |
| Term ended | 1655 |
| Predecessor | Pajsije I |
| Successor | Maksim I |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gavrilo Rajić |
| Died | 1659 |
| Nationality | Rum Millet (Serbian) |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox Christian |
| Occupation | Spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church |
Gavrilo was born around 1605–1610 in the region of Stari Vlah (present-day Serbia) into the noble Rajić family. He entered into church service and became Metropolitan of Smederevo. In 1643, he was elected Metropolitan of Raška. Around 1644, he rebuilt the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in the Kovilje Mountains. After the death of Serbian Patriarch Pajsije on November 3/13 1647, Gavrilo was elected new patriarch in 1648.[1]
In 1653, he decided to travel to Russia to ask for material support for the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć. After meeting with Metropolitan Arsenije of Herzegovina on Christmas Eve, he went first to Wallachia and arrived in Trgovište where he tried to reconcile the Wallachian Prince Matei Basarab with the Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. From there, Gavrilo traveled to Russia in 1654, taking with him two books for printing: Lives of Serbian Emperors and Patriarchs and Typikon against Latin Heresy of Saint Nil Kabasilas. He was welcomed by Russian Patriarch Nikon and Russian Tsar Michael Romanov. He also participated in the famous Moscow Synod in 1658 which approved Nikon's reforms. Since he decided to stay in Russia, he wrote to Serbian metropolitans to elect a new patriarch.[2]
Soon after, he changed his mind and left Russia arriving back in the Ottoman Empire in 1659. Upon return, he was accused by the Turks of being responsible for the Russo-Turkish War.[citation needed] he was also accused of attempting to convert some Turks to Christianity. Brought before the tribunal, he was ordered to embrace Islam. After Gavrilo refused, he was sentenced to death. He was executed in Bursa on July 18, 1659. Presbyter Pavle took his remains and buried them. He was entered on the list of Serbian saints.[3]
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