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chrysanthos notaras the Patriarch of Jerusalem... 397
chronicler that, after praising him as “a most learned patriarch, so much that
I can say that among all Christians there is no other like him in learning”,
refers to his “earlier studies in russia, england and France”. 8
Closely cared for by his illustrious uncle Dositheos, Chrysanthos
begins his studies in Istanbul/Constantinople where, in the compound of
the orthodox patriarchate, the great theological school that trained some of
the finest minds of the eastern Christianity was located.
the patriarchal Academy represented for the orthodox world the
guaranty of continuation of byzantine tradition. Its main counterpart in the
West was Collegio Greco – St. Athanasios, a catholic institution where
certain Greek intellectuals were educated. however, the orthodox Church
regarded those individuals as agents of Catholicism and consequently
enemies of the ottoman empire – and, in fact, returned home, many of
them acted accordingly. In the 17 th century, in a new ottoman political
context, the much contested patriarch Kiril loukaris realized that if
catholic propaganda efficiency came from educational institutions, it can be
counteracted in the right measure only by upgrading patriarchal Academy’
curriculum so the catholic institution won’t be an attraction anymore. In an
attempt to fuse as a single unity, the ancient Greek philosophical teachings
and the tradition of the orthodox Fathers loukaris introduced what came to
be known as “religious humanism”. reinforced, the new ideas propagated
by the patriarchal Academy became the roots of the national upheaval
that spread later throughout the orthodox world. taking advantage of
the national awareness present all over the european part of the ottoman
empire, the ecumenical patriarchate had to reformulate its political role
in the east on one hand, and toward the hellenism as pagan knowledge
on the other. In the prevailing conditions of intense national reorientations
and regroupings in europe, such a strategy aimed at upgrading the political
role of the patriarchate by providing an institutional expression to both
orthodoxy and hellenism. 9
After finishing his studies at the patriarchal Academy, Chrysanthos
received a sponsorship from prince Constantin Brancoveanu of Walachia in
sign of appreciation for his earlier activity as tutor of his four sons, to study
in padua, in Italy. this gesture was customary with prince Brancoveanu, he
often sending young meritorious boyars to study abroad. It is possible that
on his way to Italy Chrysanthos went firstly to russia, in 1692, sent by his
uncle Dositheos, a friend of the tsar. 10
8 n. IorGA 1999: 50.
9 D. DIAletIS et alia 1997.
10 n. IorGA 1908, vol. II: 10.