Patriarch Maximus IV of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Maximus IV previously known as Manasses , was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1491 to 1497.
of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos
before being appointed by Patriarch Symeon I
as Metropolitan
of Serres
, which he governed under the religious name
of Manasses. In the first months of 1491 he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople with the support of the monks of Mount Athos. Upon his election, he changed his name to Maximus, an unparalleled case in the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate because usually the religions name, taken when becoming a monk, is maintained throughout one's ecclesiastic career.
As Patriarch he defended the rights of the Orthodox living in territories under the Venetian Republic. During his reign arose some pieces of gossip about him, not specified by the sources, which led to his deposition in early 1497. After his resignation he remained actively involved with ecclesiastic issues, even plotting against his successor Nephon II
, until he was forced to retire in the Vatopedi monastery, where he died at an unknown date.
Life
He was abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
before being appointed by Patriarch Symeon I
Patriarch Symeon I of Constantinople
Symeon I of Trebizond was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople three times: for a short time in 1466, from 1471 to 1475 and from 1482 to 1486. In 1484 he presided over the Synod of Constantinople of 1484 which repudiated the Union of Florence.-Life:...
as Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
, which he governed under the religious name
Religious Name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purpose, and which is generally used in religious contexts. Different types of religious names may be in use among the clergy of a religion, as well in some cases among the laity....
of Manasses. In the first months of 1491 he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople with the support of the monks of Mount Athos. Upon his election, he changed his name to Maximus, an unparalleled case in the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate because usually the religions name, taken when becoming a monk, is maintained throughout one's ecclesiastic career.
As Patriarch he defended the rights of the Orthodox living in territories under the Venetian Republic. During his reign arose some pieces of gossip about him, not specified by the sources, which led to his deposition in early 1497. After his resignation he remained actively involved with ecclesiastic issues, even plotting against his successor Nephon II
Patriarch Nephon II of Constantinople
Nephon II, , born Nicholas, was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople three times: from 1486 to 1488, from 1497 to 1498 and for a short time in 1502...
, until he was forced to retire in the Vatopedi monastery, where he died at an unknown date.