Pitirim of Moscow

Pitirim of Moscow, also Pitirim of Krutitsy (Russian: Питирим Крутицкий), was the Patriarch of Moscow during the years 1672 and 1673. He also served as locum tenens for the cathedra of Moscow from 1658 to 1667, the period during which Patr. Nikon divested himself of his patriarchal vestments and retired to the New Jerusalem Monastery founded by him near Moscow.

Life

Little is known of the early life of Patr. Pitirim. He became metropolitan of Krutitsy during the time that Patr. Nikon was in office. The residence of the bishop of Krutitsy was near Moscow, now in the Tagansky District of Moscow. The metropolitan of Krutitsy was the successor to the bishop of the Diocese of Sarai and Don that had developed a close relationship within the Eparchy of Moscow. When Pitirim became Metropolitan of Krutitsy is unclear.

In 1658, when Patr. Nikon retired as patriarch of Moscow, Metr. Pitirim, acting as Nikon's deputy, took on the functions of the patriarch independent from Nikon. In late 1666, Metr. Pitirim was one of Nikon's most bitter opponents and accusers when the synod was convened that found him guilty of reviling the czar and the Church, stripped him of his priestly office, and reduced him to an ordinary monk.

While Pitirim may have hoped to succeed Nikon at the time, Archimandrite Joasaph was elected patriarch in February 1667. After Joasaph died in 1672, Pitirim was then appointed patriarch and remained in the cathedra until his death a year later, in 1673.

A source notes the election of a Metr. Pitirim as Metropolitan of Novgorod on August 6, 1664 and who led the eparchy until July 7, 1672 before becoming Metropolitan of Krutitsy and successor to the see of Moscow. However, inconsistencies in chronology suggests the two Pitirims are different people.

Reference

Succession box: Pitirim of Moscow
Preceded by: ?	Metropolitan of Krutitsy 1658-1672	Succeeded by: ?
Preceded by: Joasaph II	Patriarch of Moscow 1672-1673	Succeeded by: Joachim (Savelov)

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Source

• Wikipedia:Pitirim of Krutitsy/Moscow