564
edits
Changes
no edit summary
His All-Holiness '''Patriarch Meletius IV''' (Greek: Μελέτιος Δ' Μεταξάκης), born '''Emmanuel Metaxakis''' (Greek: ), was the 261st Successor to the [[Apostle Andrew]] and [[Patriarch of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]] from 1921-1923.
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.
---
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.
---
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.
