Nectarius of Jerusalem

Nectarius of Jerusalem, born Nikolaos Pelopidis (, 1602–1676), was the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1661 to 1669.

Biography Patriarch Nectarius was born Nikolaos Pelopidis near Heraklion in Crete in 1602. He was educated by the monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery, who were operating the Sinaitic Academy in Herakleion at that time, eventually becoming a monk himself in Sinai.

About 1645 he studied at Athens with the Neo-Aristotelian philosopher and scholar Theophilos Corydalleus.

He is known by his recommendation of the Confessio Orthodoxa of Peter Mogilas (1645), which he endorsed in 1662.

As early as 1666 he sought to be relieved of his duties, and by 1669 Dositheos Notaras had become his successor.

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, named Peter, was especially active in distributing five tracts in defense of the papal authority. 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. In his doctrine of the Eucharist, Nectarius was strictly Orthodox, and a zealous opponent of Cyril Lucaris and the Calvinistic movement.

In addition, Nectarius is said to have written a history of the Egyptian empire down to Sultan Selim.