Hierarch 17th century

Saint Paisius Patriarch of Serbia

1542 – 1647

Also known as Пајсије Јањевац · Paisius of Janjevo · Pajsije

Patriarch of Serbia and a writer who composed hagiographical and liturgical works during the Ottoman period. He reposed in 1647.

Feast Day

October 2

Draft

Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.

Hymn / Apolytikion Icon gallery Video / Media

Commemorated as

Saint Paisius, Patriarch of Serbia

Life

Saint Paisius (Serbian: Pajsije), Patriarch of Serbia, was a seventeenth-century hierarch and writer who led the Serbian Orthodox Church through the difficult conditions of the Ottoman period. Born in 1542 at Janjevo, in present-day Kosovo, he is remembered above all as the figure who inspired the revival of Serbian hagiographical and liturgical literature in his age. He is commemorated on October 2.

Paisius served first as Metropolitan of Novo Brdo and Lipljan, and was elected Archbishop of Pec and Serbian Patriarch on October 4, 1614, in succession to Patriarch Jovan II Kantul. He held the patriarchal throne, seated at the Patriarchal Monastery of Pec, until his death in 1647. Sources describe him as a writer, poet, composer, educator, and diplomat, a learned man who took care to gather and preserve manuscripts scattered among the monasteries.

Beyond his literary labors, Paisius was active in the church affairs and diplomacy of his time, undertaking journeys that included Moscow, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. He also engaged in theological exchange with the papacy concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit. He reposed in 1647 and was buried at the Patriarchal Monastery of Pec; he is venerated as a saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Timeline 5 moments Read Hide

1542 Born at Janjevo Paisius was born at Janjevo, in present-day Kosovo, then under Ottoman rule.
1612 Metropolitan of Novo Brdo and Lipljan He served as metropolitan before his elevation to the patriarchate.
1614 Elected Patriarch of Serbia He was elected Archbishop of Pec and Serbian Patriarch on October 4, succeeding Jovan II Kantul.
1622 Journey to Moscow He traveled to Moscow as part of his diplomatic and ecclesiastical work.
1647 Repose at Pec He reposed and was buried at the Patriarchal Monastery of Pec.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributions Read Hide

Patriarch and Writer

Paisius is chiefly remembered for reviving Serbian hagiographical and liturgical writing during a period when such cultural and ecclesiastical work was difficult to sustain. His own compositions include a Life of Emperor Uros (Stefan Uros V) and a service to the same, a Life and a service to Simeon (Stefan the First-Crowned), and a biography of Stefan Stiljanovic, drawing the memory of earlier Serbian rulers and saints into the liturgical life of the Church.

He was also a patron of sacred art, supporting iconostasis woodcarving and icon painting during his tenure, and he was known as a great lover of books who worked to preserve manuscripts held in various monasteries.

Diplomacy and Repose

Paisius's travels carried him to Moscow in 1622, to Constantinople in 1641, and to Jerusalem in 1646. He entered into theological debate with Popes Gregory XV and Urban VIII over the question of the procession of the Holy Spirit, and a papal emissary discussed the matter of church union with him in 1642.

By tradition he was wounded by a bull in the village of Budosavci and died days later, in 1647, and was buried at the Patriarchal Monastery of Pec.

Works & Further Reading Read Hide

Notable Works

Notes

Born 1542 at Janjevo, Kosovo; reposed 1647. Venerated since the post-medieval period.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_saints_of_the_Serbian_Orthodox_Church