View source for Joasaph II (Novotorzhets) of Moscow

'''Joasaph II (Novotorzhets) of Moscow''', Russian: Иоасаф II (Новоторжец), was Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia from 1667 to 1672. He participated in the trial of Patr. [[Nikon of Moscow|Nikon]] which [[deposition|deposed]] him.

==Life==
Little is known of the life of Joasaph. He was [[monasticism|monastic]] who was the [[archimandrite]] of the Rozhdestvensky (Nativity) [[Monastery]] in Vladimir from 1654 to 1656. On [[April 25]], 1656, he was appointed archimandrite of the [[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra]] just north of Moscow. In 1666, Joasaph participated in the trial of Patr. Nikon for the offense of reviling the czar and the church. While having condemned Nikon, the court also approved his reforms and continued to enforce them which action led to the [[Old Believers|Old Believer]] [[schism]]. 

After Patr. Nikon's deposition, Archim. Joasaph was elected on [[February 10]], 1667 to succeed him as [[patriarch]] of All Russia. During his patriarchate, Patr. Joasaph was active in the fight against dissenters, yet was considered to be a kindly old man who was meek and mild.

Patr. Joasaph reposed on [[February 11]], 1672 and was buried six days later on [[February 17]] in the [[Dormition Cathedral (Moscow Kremlin)|Dormition Cathedral]] in the Moscow Kremlin.<ref>Makarii (Bulgakov), ''Istoriia russkoi tserkvi'' (Moscow) vol. XII, pp. 760-792.</ref>

==Reference==
<references/>

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Nikon of Moscow|Nikon]]|
title=[[List of primates of Russia|Patriarch of Moscow]]|
years=1667&ndash;1672|
after=[[Pitirim of Moscow|Pitirim]]}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[[Wikipedia:Patriarch_Joasaphus_II]]  
*[http://ortho-rus.ru/cgi-bin/ps_file.cgi?2_4446 Joasaph (Novotorzhets) II] In Russian

[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Patriarchs of Moscow]]
[[Category: Bishops of Moscow]]