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--- A known supporter of Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios VenizelosMeletius was evicted from the Holy Land by Patriarch Damianos, he served as Bishop in Cyprusalong with the then administrator Chrysostomos, until he was elected later [[Archbishop of Athens following King Constantine I's abdication, replacing Archbishop Theocletus I, a known Royalist]] in 1908 for "activity against the Holy Sepulcher. Two years later King Constantine I was restored to the throne, Archbishop " Meletius Metaxakis was ousted, and former Archbishop Theocletus I was reinstatedthen elected [[Metropolitan of Kition]] in 1910. In 1921 he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch. He resigned the years before the war Metropolitan Meletius began successful talks in 1923 following New York with representatives of the defeat [[Episcopal Church of America]], with the Greek Army in Asia Minor. Some years later he was elected Pope and Patriarch intention of Alexandria. He died in 1935"expanding relations between the two Churches. ---"
Meletius was evicted from After the Holy Land by death of [[Joachim III of Constantinople|Patriarch DamianosJoachim III]] on June 13, 1912, along with Meletius was nominated as a candidate for the then administrator ChrysostomosPatriarchal Throne in [[Constantinople]]. However, later Archbishop of Athens in 1908 for "activity against the Holy Sepulcher." Synod decided that Meletius Metaxakis was then elected Metropolitan of Kition in 1910could not canonically be registered as a candidate. In With the years before support of his political allies and acquaintances he was uncanonically elevated to the war Metropolitan Meletius began successful talks in New York with representatives position of the Episcopal Church Archbishop of AmericaAthens in 1918, with the intention but after a series of political changes he was deprived of "expanding relations between the two Churcheshis see."
After the death of Patriarch Joachim III on June 13, 1912, Meletius was nominated as a candidate for the Patriarchal Throne in Constantinople. However, the Holy Synod decided that Meletius could not canonically be registered as a candidate. With the support of his political allies and acquaintances he was uncanonically elevated to the position of Archbishop of Athens in 1918, but after the usual political changes he was deprived of his see. Metaxakis was one of the most fascinating characters in Orthodox church history. He was the only man successively to lead four autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Churches: those of [[Church of Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Church of Greece|Greece]], [[Church of Constantinople (Turkey)|Constantinople]], and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria (Egypt)]]. On the basis of a 1908 decree of the [[Ecumenical Patriarch ]] that the independent "trustee" Greek parishes in America should receive episcopal oversight from the Church of Greece, Metaxakis journeyed to America in the summer of 1918 to survey the situation. Three months later he returned to Greece and appointed [[Bishop Alexander of Rodostolou ]] as his resident American legate. Alexander was charged with the unenviable task of initiating canonical order among the independent Greek parishes throughout North America.
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He was born on September 21, 1871 in the village of Parsas on the island of Crete. He entered the [[Seminary of the Holy Cross]] in [[Jerusalem]] in 1889. He was tonsured with the name Meletius and [[ordination|ordained]] a [[hierodeacon]] in 1892. He completed the theological courses at Holy Cross and was assigned as secretary to the [[Holy Synod]] in Jerusalem by [[Damianos of Jerusalem|Patriarch Damianos]] in 1900.
In the Greek elections of 1920, however, Venizelos was defeated. The king returned to power, and Metaxakis was deposed as Archbishop of Athens. His place was taken, on December 10, 1920, by the rightful canonical candidate, Theocletos, who had previously been deposed as Archbishop. While Meletius was still Archbishop of Athens, he along with a group of like-minded persons visited England where he conducted talks concerning the union between the Anglicans and the Orthodox Church. Like so many other political refugees, Metaxakis fled to the United States (February, 1921). Still recognized as the legitimate head of the Church of Greece by his American legate, Bishop Alexander, Metaxakis presided over the organization of some Greek parishes in North America into a formal "Greek Archdiocese" on September 15, 1921.
Meletius Metaxakis died on July 28, 1935, and was buried in Cairo, Egypt.
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A known supporter of Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, he served as Bishop in Cyprus, until he was elected Archbishop of Athens following King Constantine I's abdication, replacing Archbishop Theocletus I, a known Royalist. Two years later King Constantine I was restored to the throne, Archbishop Meletius was ousted, and former Archbishop Theocletus I was reinstated. In 1921 he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch. He resigned in 1923 following the defeat of the Greek Army in Asia Minor.
Some years later he was elected Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. He died in 1935.
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