Nicodème Hagiorite

Nicodème Hagiorite or Nicodème of Athos

1748-1809

Festival the July 14th.

Scholar and spiritual orthodoxe, monk with the Mount Athos, renovating of the Hésychasme.

Biographical elements

Originating in the Greek island of Naxos, it made its studies in Smyrna, profiting from the Greek rebirth intellectual of the time, and learned - in addition to the Greek - Latin, Italian and French, which put it in contact with the Western thought. In Naxos, then with Hydra, it meets the monks " Colyvades ", which, driven out of Athos in decline, renovates in the Greek world the monastic life and the eucharistic practice. It is thus initiated with the hésychasme. It binds to the métropolite Corinth, Macaire, defender of the colyvades and renovating of the tradition. The revival ebbs on Athos, where Nicodème becomes monk in 1775 (from there comes its nickname from Hagiorite: of the Greek " Hagios Oron" , the Holy Mountain = Athos). It deploys an abundant mental activity then, examining, publishing, translating the texts of the Fathers. However, this intesive work distracts it neither from the prayer, nor of the vbie of Church. On the contrary, it enracine spiritual life in the whole of the life of the Church, commenting on the Writings, recommending the frequent communion, the diction aloud of the secret prayers during the liturgy

Nicodème was canonized, at the request of Large Laure of Athos, by the patriarch Athénagoras Ier, in 1955.

Publications

As from 1777, he collaborates with Macaire de Corinthe for the establishment of the Philocalie (or " Philocalie of the Fathers Neptiques "), it writes the notes and who appears in Greek in Venice in 1782. It publishes simultaneously a shorter collection of lesson of the Fathers, the Évergétinos , collaborates in the complete edition, in modern Greek, of Syméon the New Theologist, writes a Life of Gregoire Palamas and prepares, thanks to the manuscripts of Athos, a complete edition of works of this one, unfortunately destroyed in Vienna where the impression was done. Nicodème exposes itself the tradition hésychaste in its treaty the Guard of the five directions, imagination, the spirit and the heart. Lastly, it publishes a collection complete and with accompanying notes guns of the orthodoxe Church (Greek), the Pidalion (i.e. the " gouvernail").

Lastly, at one time when the idea of oecumenism did not still effleuré any spirit, it translates (by adapting them, in without however specifying the name of the author) the " Exercises spirituels" of Ignace de Loyola as well as the " Spirituel" fights; of Scupoli.

He is the author of an edition of the Synaxaire largely translated into French in the synaxaire, lives of the saints of the orthodoxe Church , 6 volumes, Thessalonique 1996.

External bonds

The " Pidalion" : guns of the orthodoxe Church translated into French

Category: Christians of the East

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