Gerasimus II (Palladas) of Alexandria

Gerasimus II of Alexandria was the Patriarch of the Church of Alexandria from 1688 to 1710.

Little is known of his early life or of his patriarchate. He was born in Crete in the first half of the seventeenth century.

He served as Bishop of Kastoria, and was later installed as Patriarch of Alexandria on November 3, 1688, succeding the deceased Patriarch Parthenius I of Alexandria, who was killed in the earthquake of 1688 in Smyrna in Asia Minor.

He was distinguished for his preaching, having written a great number of homilies. He was accused of innovation during the Divine Liturgy, at the point of the sanctification of the Precious Gifts, which brought on a reaction from the Ecumenical Patriarch, and the ending of the misunderstanding.

One incident related to Gerasimus concerned the wonderworking Kykkos icon of Mother of God "Merciful" of Cyprus. A feature of the icon is that no one can see the original, as it is kept under a covering. In 1699, Patr. Gerasimus was the last person who removed the covering and was punished. Only after he offered a prayer to the Mother of God was his wrongdoing forgiven.

Patriarch Gerasimus II resigned from his duties on January 20, 1710 because of old age, and reposed in 1714. He is honoured as a Saint of the Church and is commemorated annually on January 16.

Succession box: Gerasimus II (Palladas) of Alexandria
Preceded by: Parthenius I	Patriarch of Alexandria 1688–1710	Succeeded by: Samuel

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Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (Greek)

Ὁ Ἅγιος Γεράσιμος ὁ Παλλαδὰς Πατριάρχης Ἀλεξανδρείας. 16 Ιανουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

• GERASIMOS II PALLADAS (1688-1710). Official web site of Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Retrieved: 2013-03-07.
• Patriarch Gerasimus II of Alexandria. Wikipedia.
• Religious leaders. Rulers.org.
• Kykkos icon of Mother of God "Merciful"