Patriarch Meletius IV of Constantinople
Meletius II (real name: Meletios Metaxakis; * September 21, 1871; † July 28, 1935 ) was from 1926 to 1935 the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, before ( 1921-1923 ) and Meletios IV Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel.
1909 Meletios visited Cyprus where he joined a Masonic lodge. After a failed attempt to become Archbishop of Cyprus, he went to Athens, where his relative, the Prime Minister Venizelos helped him to the title of Archbishop of Athens. As Venizelos next year lost the elections, Meletios was released from his throne.
As Archbishop of Athens Meletios visited Britain and entered into negotiations on the agreement with the Anglican Church. On 17 December 1921, the Greek ambassador in Washington wrote that Meletius had attended an Anglican church service in his church clothes, I bowed with the Anglicans, have kissed her altar, preached and have blessed the In Wesenen after the end of the service. After his case was examined in November 1921 by a conference convened by the Synod of the Hellenic Church Commission, Meletios was condemned and banished by the Hellenic Church. On January 24, 1922, he ascended the throne of the Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel, after which the ban was lifted in September 1922. The Pan-Orthodox Conference convened by Meletios attended the Anglican Bishop Charles Gore in, sat by right of Meletios and participated in the work of the Congress. After a calendar reform was decided in the course of the congress, there were riots in which the Orthodox population of Constantinople broke into the apartments of the patriarchs. The famous Orthodox theologian Justin Popović described as unfortunate Patriarch Meletios, autocratic modernists, reformer and founder of the discord in the Orthodoxy. His recognition of the Anglican ordination was condemned even by the Catholic Church. Meletios participated in the seventh Anglican Lambeth Conference 1930.
Among its main achievements is to provide the Patriarchate of Alexandria on a new basis, and numerous problems that had accumulated in the 19th century to solve matters.
One of his first activities was on 15 May 1930, the publication of the regulations of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. He attached great importance to the life of the metropolitans and the entire community, the rituals, sacraments and the legal aspects of daily life.
Meletios founded the Seminary of St. Athanasios. During his tenure as patriarch he turned ten metropolitans with 90 municipalities, five monasteries and parish priests 107.