Section 02: The Metropolitan of Pentapolis
The section covering St. Nektarios’ rise in the Patriarchate of Alexandria: his ordination to the priesthood in 1886, his swift advance through archimandrite and patriarchal commissioner, and his consecration in 1889 as Metropolitan of Pentapolis — and the favor with the aged Patriarch Sophronios IV that made him beloved by the people but bred the envy of ambitious clergy. The two files cover the ordination and rise, and the favor-and-envy that set the stage for the great injustice of 1890.
Tradition: Greek Orthodox (canonized 1961)
Contents
| File | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ordination and Rise | Ordained priest 23 May 1886 at St. Sabbas, Alexandria; priest of St. Nicholas, Cairo (Aug 1886); archimandrite and patriarchal commissioner; consecrated Metropolitan of Pentapolis 15 January 1889; widely seen as Sophronios’ likely successor |
| Favor and Envy | The holiness, eloquence, and administrative gifts that won the people and the Patriarch’s confidence; the resentment of ambitious clergy who feared a rival for the throne; the rumor-machinery that turned his gifts into the occasion of his downfall |
How to Use
- Read Ordination and Rise for the chronology of his ascent and the offices he held.
- Read Favor and Envy for the psychology of the coming catastrophe — how the saint’s very virtues became the occasion of the slander.
- The expulsion itself is the flagship of Section 03: The Great Injustice.
Cross-References
- For the calumny and expulsion that followed, see The Calumny and Expulsion
- For the studies and patronage that brought him to Egypt, see Athens and Egypt
- For the Patriarchate of Alexandria in its world-Orthodox setting, see World Orthodoxy
- For the governing standard, see the repository Methodology