Jefrem Јефрем | |
|---|---|
 Fresco of Jefrem from thePatriarchal Monastery of Peć | |
| Serbian Patriarch | |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Church | Serbian Patriarchate of Peć |
| See | Patriarchal Monastery of Peć |
| Installed | 1375; 1389 |
| Term ended | 1379; 1390 |
| Predecessor | Sava IV;Spiridon |
| Successor | Spiridon;Danilo III (patriarch) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1312 Balkans |
| Died | 1400 Serbia |
| Buried | Patriarchal Monastery of Peć |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Residence | Patriarchal Monastery of Peć |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | June 15/28 |
| Canonized | 1407 by Patriarch Sava V |
Jefrem (Serbian Cyrillic:Јефрем;Ephraem; c. 1312 – died 1400), also known asElder Jefrem (старац Јефрем) andJefrem of Serbia, was the Patriarch[1] of theSerbian Orthodox Church twice, in 1375–1379 and 1389–1392, and also a renownedpoet.
Born into a priestly family, of Bulgarian origin,[a] he became a monk around 1335 at the age of 23.[2] He moved toMount Athos, where he stayed atHilandar, thenZograf, and later lived as ahesychasticascetic in the mountains of Athos.[2] In around 1347, he left Athos on a river island of theMaritsa nearPlovdiv where he became ahegumen.[2] He then moved to Serbia, and stayed in thePatriarchal Monastery of Peć.[2] He lived in a cave-church nearVisoki Dečani, and Patriarch Sava IV built an ascetic cell for him in Ždrelo near thePatriarchal Monastery of Peć. When unrest broke out in the state and Church, the Synod chose Jefrem to succeed as patriarch on 3 October 3, 1375. To protect the Church from interference from feudal lords, he renounced his throne and turned it over to Spiridon,[clarification needed] becoming an ascetic. Following the death of Spiridon in 1389, Jefrem again took office. However, he once again renounced the throne in 1392, and then retired to Ždrelo. He died in the evening of 14 June 1400, and was buried the next day at thePatriarchal Monastery of Peć.[3] According to the hagiography of Jefrem, Sava V was present at the burial.[4] Jefrem left a large original poetry work, preserved in a 14th-century manuscript from Hilandar.[5]
In 1406 or 1407 ("seven summers after ascendance") he was proclaimed a saint by Sava V after showing signs of sainthood.[3] Bishop Marko wrote theService to St. Jefrem andLife of St. Jefrem. His feast day is celebrated on June 15/28, together with St. Lazar and St. Spyridon.
Historiography treat him as being of Bulgarian origin.[2][5] Another source claim that he was fromThessaly.[6]
<--ЈЕФРЕМ, ПАТРИЈАРХ (умро 1400. г.) У житију се назива „свети отац наш Јефрем патријарх",1) а у служби „преподобии и богоносни Јефрем патријарх српски".2)-->
| Religious titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Serbian Patriarch 1375–1379 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Serbian Patriarch 1389–1392 | Succeeded by |
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