Gabriel I of Pec

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The holy, glorious and right-victorious Hieromartyr Gavrilo I of Pec (also Gabriel; Serbian: Свети свештеномученик Гаврило српски) was Serbian Patriarch from 1648 to 1655. His feast day is celebrated on December 13 (December 26 in Gregorian Calendar).

Gavrilo was born in the Stari Vlah region into a noble family. He was Metropolitan of Smederevo until 1643. After this, he was elected Metropolitan of Ras and Novi Pazar. He rebuilt the Monastery of the Holy Archangels near the Kovilje Mountains in 1644. After the death of Patriarch Pajsije on November 3/13, 1647, Gavrilo was elected patriarch in the Synod at Morača Monastery before the feast of the Ascension in 1648. He paid a large tribute, as other patriarchs had: 100,000 akchas. He visited Constantinople in order to gain protection for his flock. When he visited Stari Vlah, he met the Russian nobleman Ivan Vasiljevič Šujski. He went for Russia to ask for material support. He met Metropolitan Arsenije of Trebinje on Christmas Eve and they went first to Valachia in Tergoviste to try to recocile the Valachian prince Matthew Besarab with Cossak Hetman Bogdan Hmeljnicki. Patriarch Gavrilo went to Russia in 1654, and brought two books for printing: Lives of Serbian Emperors and Patriarchs and Typikon against Latin Heresy of Saint Nil Kabasilas. He was welcomed by Patriarch Nikon and Car Mihail. He also participed in the famous Moscow Synod in 1658 in which Nikon's reforms were approved. He wrote to Serbia for the metropolitans to elect a new patriarch.

He came back to Serbia in 1659. He was accused by Turkish Governmant of being responsible for the Russo-Turkish War and sentenced to embrace Islam. After St. Gavrilo refused, he was sentenced to death. He died in Bursa on July 18, 1659. Presbyter Pavle took his remains and buried them. He was entered on the list of Serbian saints.


Succession box:
Gabriel I of Pec
Preceded by:
?
Metropolitan of Smederevo
?-1643
Succeeded by:
?
Preceded by:
Maksim
Metropolitan of Ras and Novi Pazar
1643-1648
Succeeded by:
?
Preceded by:
Pajsije
Patriarch of Serbia
1672-1690
Succeeded by:
Maksim
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