Nectarius of Jerusalem, born Nikolaos Pelopidis (, 1602–1676), was the

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem The Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem or Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, officially patriarch of Jerusalem (; ; ), is the head bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine patriarchs in the Easte ...

from 1661 to 1669.

Biography

Patriarch Nectarius was born Nikolaos Pelopidis near Heraklion in

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

in 1602. He was educated by the monks of

Saint Catherine's Monastery Saint Catherine's Monastery ( , ), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, is a Christian monastery located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Located at the foot of Mount Sinai ...

, who were operating the Sinaitic Academy in Herakleion at that time, eventually becoming a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

himself in Sinai. Kattenbusch, Ferdinand (Ph.D, Th.D.). '
NECTARIUS: Patriarch of Jerusalem
"'' In: Jackson, Samuel Macauley, Ed. (1914). New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. VIII: Morality - Petersen. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1953. p. 98. About 1645 he studied at

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

with the Neo- Aristotelian philosopher and scholar

Theophilos Corydalleus Theophilos Corydalleus (; ; 1574–1646) was a Greeks, Greek Neo-Aristotelianism (philosophy), Neo-Aristotelian philosopher who initiated the philosophical movement known as Korydalism or Corydalism. He was also an Eastern Orthodox cleric (Met ...

. Early in 1661 he was in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

on business connected with his monastery, and on his return to Sinai he was chosen abbot (25-1-1661). However, on his way to

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

to be consecrated, he was informed that he had been chosen Patriarch of the Holy City, and was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

on April 9, 1661. As he was fond of learning and of music, he arranged for the establishment of schools in Constantinople, in Arta and Chios. In addition, he repaired the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchat ...

in Jerusalem, and cared for the reconstruction of monastic houses and

guest houses A guest is person who is given hospitality. Guest or The Guest may refer to: * Guest (surname), people with the surname ''Guest'' * USS ''Guest'' (DD-472), U.S. Navy ''Fletcher''-class destroyer 1942–1946 * Guest appearance, guest actor, guest ...

for visitors there. When he was present in

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

, the capital of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

, he became involved with the issues surrounding

Patriarch Nikon Nikon (, ), born Nikita Minin (; 7 May 1605 – 17 August 1681) was the seventh Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving officially from 1652 to 1666. He was renowned for his eloquence, energy, piety and close t ...

of Moscow and all the Rus'. In July 1663, when Pantaleon Ligarid and Archbishop Josef of Astrakhan tried to officially depose Patriarch Nikon from his cathedra, Patriarch Nectarius of Jerusalem protested in 1664 against their intended trial of Patriarch Nikon, because he saw no serious basis for it. He also knew Ligarid well, considering him a rogue. He is known by his recommendation of the ''Confessio Orthodoxa'' of Peter Mogilas (1645), which he endorsed in 1662.Proeschel, J.N. ''"2. Nectarius (Patriarch of Jerusalem)."'' In: McClintock, John and James Strong. Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. Vol. VI ‒ ME-NEV. New York: Harper and Brother Publishers, 1882. p. 914. As early as 1666 he sought to be relieved of his duties, and by 1669 Dositheos Notaras had become his successor. He participated in the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672, that refuted the Calvinist confessions of

Cyril Lucaris Cyril I of Constantinople (''Cyril Lucaris'' or ''Kyrillos Loukaris'' (; 13 November 1572 – 27 June 1638) was a Greek prelate and theologian, and a native of Heraklion, Crete (then under the Republic of Venice). He later became the Greek Pa ...

. After his resignation, Nectarius remained in Jerusalem, except for a short time when he was driven to Mount Sinai by Latin monks who came to Palestine with Roman Catholic crusaders. Later he remained at the Monastery of The Holy Archangels (Andromedos, Joppa) until his death. Saint Raphael Hawaweeny states that Nectarius was "a righteous person in mind and soul" and so chose to retire due to "fierce resistance of the Jerusalemite monks when he declined to persecute the indigenous Orthodox". Patriarch Nectarius died on July 14, 1676.

Writings

Patriarch Nectarius was versed in the Greek, Arabic, Turkish, and Latin languages. During his patriarchate, Romish emissaries were very active in endeavoring to persuade the Greek Christians of Palestine, suffering under the yoke of the Turks, to unite with the Church of Rome. Among them a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

, named Peter, was especially active in distributing five tracts in defense of the

papal authority The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

. Nectarius' refutation of these tracts regarding papal supremacy was among the most important of his writings, in a publication entitled: ''Κατά τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Παπᾶ'', a firm refutation of the Roman Catholic theses. He also wrote a work in Greek against the doctrines of Luther and

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvin T ...

, which was translated into Latin by Renaudot, who published it, together with Gennadius' ''Homilies on the Eucharist.'' In his doctrine of the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

, Nectarius was strictly Orthodox, and a zealous opponent of

and the

Calvinistic Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

movement.Christian Classics Ethereal Library, ''Synod of Jerusalem''
/ref> In addition, Nectarius is said to have written a history of the

Egyptian empire The New Kingdom, also called the Egyptian Empire, refers to ancient Egypt between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC. This period of ancient Egyptian history covers the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasties. Through radioc ...

down to Sultan Selim. In this Arabic manuscript (which he composed in Greek), he states that he personally witnessed a miracle in the region of

Heliopolis, Egypt Heliopolis (Jwnw, Iunu; , 'the Pillars'; , ; ) was a major city of ancient Egypt. It was the capital of the 13th or Heliopolite Nome of Lower Egypt and a major religious centre. Its site is within the boundaries of Ain Shams and El Matareya, ...

, similar to the narrative of ''The Valley of Dry Bones,''
Ezekiel 37:1-14
in which the prophet sees the dead rise again.'' The Rudder (Pēdálion)'': Of the metaphorical ship of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Orthodox Christians, or all the sacred and divine canons of the holy and renowned Apostles, of the holy Councils, ecumenical as well as regional, and of individual fathers, as embodied in the original Greek text, for the sake of authenticity, and explained in the vernacular by way of rendering them more intelligible to the less educated. :Comp. Agapius a Hieromonk and Nicodemus a Monk. First printed and published A.D.1800. Trans. D. Cummings, from the 5th edition published by John Nicolaides (Kesisoglou the Caesarian) in Athens, Greece in 1908, (Chicago: The Orthodox Christian Educational Society, 1957; Repr., New York, N.Y.: Luna Printing Co., 1983). pp. 10-11.

Notes

References

Sources

* Kattenbusch, Ferdinand (Ph.D, Th.D.). '
NECTARIUS: Patriarch of Jerusalem
"'' In: Jackson, Samuel Macauley, Ed. (1914). New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. VIII: Morality - Petersen. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1953. p. 98. * Proeschel, J.N. ''"2. Nectarius (Patriarch of Jerusalem)."'' In: McClintock, John and James Strong. Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. Vol. VI ‒ ME-NEV. New York: Harper and Brother Publishers, 1882. p. 914. * Μανούσακας Μ. Ι.. ''Η Επιτομή της Ιεροκοσμικής Ιστορίας του Νεκταρίου Ιεροσολύμων και αι πηγαί αυτής.'' Κρητικά Χρονικά. τομ.1 (1947), σελ. 291–332. * Fabricius, Johann Albert.
Ioannis Alberti Fabricii... Bibliotheca Graeca: Sive Notitia Scriptorum Vetervm Graecorvm
'' Editio Nova:

Gottlieb Christoph Harless Gottlieb Christoph Harless (originally Harles) (21 June 1738 – 2 November 1815) was a German classical scholar and bibliographer. Biography He was born at Culmbach in Bavaria. He studied at the universities of Halle, Erlangen and Jena. In ...

, Christoph August Heumann. Volvmen Nonvm. Hambvrgi: Apud Carolvm Ernestvm Bohn, 1804. p. 310. {{Authority control 1602 births 1676 deaths 17th-century Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem Eastern Orthodox theologians Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece Eastern Orthodox monks People from Heraklion (regional unit) Clergy from Heraklion