Athanasios III of Constantinople was an Eastern Orthodox prelate who served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople during three separate periods in 1634, 1652, and briefly in 1638. Born Alexios Patellarios in Crete, he was highly educated in multiple languages and philosophy. Throughout his turbulent career, he navigated complex political and religious tensions between the Ottoman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Tsardom of Russia. He is recognized as a wonderworking saint and an enlightener within the Orthodox tradition.