Meletius was born in Candia (
Heraklion) in the island of
Crete, at the time capital of the
Republic of Venice Kingdom of Candia in 1549, and he studied classical philology, philosophy and medicine in
Padua. He became
protosyncellus of the patriarch of Alexandria
Silvester, at whose death he succeeded on 5 August 1590. Even if he supported the doctrine of
transubstantiation, he was a fierce opponent of the
Catholic Church and worked for the reunion of the
Greek Church with the
Coptic Church. In 1593, he participated in a
synod in
Constantinople which confirmed the establishment of the
Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'. Without resigning as Patriarch of Alexandria, he served as locum tenens of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople between December 1596 and February 1597, and Patriarch of Constantinople from 30 March 1597 to March 1598, when he resigned to go on dealing only with his Egyptian
see. He died in
Alexandria on 12 September 1601. == Notes and references ==