in Athens sent its representative, Bishop David of Phocis, to Constantinople. A private message to the Patriarch of Constantinople on behalf of Metropolitan Theophilus of Athens stated that under the circumstances, neither Eugene nor Nilus "should be elevated to the rank of Patriarch, and peace can only be established by the election of a third person." Having found full understanding in Constantinople, Bishop David went to the Patriarch of Antioch, hoping to persuade him to abandon the support of the Nilus. In a letter to Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) in Jerusalem dated September 12, 1869, the Russian ambassador to Constantinople Nikolay Ignatiev, who had previously supported Patriarch Nicanor and his successor Nilus, wrote: "The turmoil in the entire Eastern Church is appalling. Nilos, despite his sneakiness, did not know how to do his business in Egypt and we have to agree to his removal. The trouble is with the Throne of Alexandria, which has become the playground of several merchants". On December 25, 1869, Patriarch Nicanor died. The position of the "appointed" Patriarch Nilus, despite his recognition by the Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, has become critical. Ignatiev advised him to resign, but Nilus persisted. In a letter dated January 7, 1870, Ignatiev wrote: "Nilus has set everyone against himself and can only hold on with my help, but he does not want to leave voluntarily, counting on the moral assistance of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and Antioch. You cannot imagine what the mutual bitterness of the parties has come to (merchants, doctors, educated and decent people — against Nilos — unanimously). There are several lawyers for him (four, I think) and the lowest, rude class of the people. Local elections are impossible, because it will come to a massacre. I persuaded the ruler of Egypt to promise to present to the three Patriarchs to enter into an agreement on this issue — this time — giving them the choice of the future Patriarch, in addition to Eugene and Nilos, who each have their own small party mutually hostile. What does His Beatitude Kirill think? It is necessary to find some kind of outcome to the ugly situation of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which has become a plaything of passions, a laughing stock of gentiles and a disgrace to Orthodoxy". On May 30, 1870, the retired Patriarch Sophrony of Constantinople became Patriarch of Alexandria, whose candidacy was agreed upon in July