Nicholas II of Constantinople explained

Honorific Prefix:Saint
Titles:Patriarch of Constantinople
Birth Date:10th century
Death Date:991
Death Place:Constantinople
Venerated In:Orthodox Church
Catholic Church
Feast Day:16 December
Honorific Prefix:Saint
Patriarch Of:Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Enthroned:979
Ended:991
Religion:Eastern Orthodox
Chalcedonian Christianity

Nicholas II Chrysoberges (Greek, Modern (1453-);: {{lang|grc|Νικόλαος Χρυσοβέργης; died 16 December 991) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople[1] [2] from 984 to 991.

In 980, during the reign of Emperor Basil II, when Nicholas Chrysoberges was Ecumenical Patriarch, the Archangel Gabriel was believed to have appeared in the guise of a monk to the disciple of a certain monk at the Monastery of the Pantocrator in Mount Athos. The monk reported that the angel sang a new verse of the matins hymn, recorded on a slate still held at the monastery. Nicholas received the relic in the cathedral of Hagia Sophia. The Axion Estin is still sung in Orthodox services.

Nicholas' tenure also saw the completion of the Christianization of the Kievan Rus' and the appointment of the first metropolitan for Rus', Michael the Syrian.

Patriarch Nicholas was later canonized and is commemorated by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church on 16 December.

Notes and References

  1. Jennifer Lawler (2011). Encyclopedia of the Byzantine Empire. McFarland. p. 328.
  2. Richard P. H. Greenfield, Alice-Mary Maffry Talbot (2016). Holy Men of Mount Athos. Harvard University Press.