Patriarch Job of Moscow

Job
Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus'
Church	Russian Orthodox Church
See	Moscow
Installed	26 January 1589
Term ended	June 1605
Successor	Ignatius
Personal details
Born	Ioann (Russian: Иоанн) unknown Russia
Died	19 June 1607 Staritsa
Buried	Dormition Cathedral, Moscow

Job (

.

Early life

His birth name was Ioann (

of Job.

Career

Job spent fifteen years in the cloister and finally became its abbot in 1566 with the help of Ivan the Terrible, who had made Staritsa his residence during the time of the Oprichnina. According to Debra A. Coulter, "Job was known as a humble man of impeccable morals, learned for his times, who worked for the good of the church and the promotion of Orthodox Christianity."^[2]

In 1571, Job was transferred to

.

Though a person of mediocre mental abilities, he nevertheless managed to draw the attention of

in 1587.

Patriarchate

Realizing the necessity of strengthening the

. He exercised all his influence and played a major part in Boris Godunov's ascending to the Russian throne.

Ivan IV

's son (19th-century painting by Peter Geller).

Job did not approve, however, of Godunov's proposal to open a

and prepared them for publication.

He assisted in the

in 1591, Job accepted the non-criminal version of his demise, supporting Boris Godunov every step of the way.

In 1591, he headed the official enquiry into the death of Tsarevich Dmitry in Uglich. After consulting with the church council and the duma of boyars, the patriarch announced his verdict – the tsarevich had accidentally stabbed himself and not been murdered. In that year he also founded the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

Civil career

After the death of

and the refusal of his wife, Irina Godunova, to accept the throne, Patriarch Job became the head of state in 1598. As he was much obliged to Boris Godunov for his promotion to the post of patriarch, Job offered his candidature as tsar to the Land Assembly (Zemsky sobor). On 21 February 1598, he headed a religious procession to Boris Godunov at the Novodevichy Convent, imploring him to accept the throne.

Job was known as a harsh critic of

, where he forgave the people of Moscow and gave them his blessing.

Death

He died a very sick man in 1607. In 1652, Job's

in 1989.

References

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Dionysius	Metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus' 1587–1589	Succeeded by Ignatius

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Office created	Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia 1589–1605	Succeeded by Ignatius