LOPATINSKIJ, TEOFILATTO. – Russian theologian and controversialist. A pupil of the Kiev Academy, he remained faithful to the orientation of that institution even during his teaching at the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy, of which he was appointed rector in 1706. In 1723 he was named archbishop of Tver and vice-president of the Holy Synod.
He took an active part both in the Slavonic version of the Bible and in the theological controversies of his time against the Old Believers, against the Lichud brothers, and against the Protestants and their supporters, led by THEOPHANE PROKOPOVIČ, who succeeded in having L. deprived of his see and confined for five years to Viborg. He was released in 1740.
He wrote: a theological course, entitled *Scientia sacra disputationibus theologicis SS. Ecclesiae orientalis, Scripturae, conciliis et Patribus consentaneis speculative et controversiae illustrata*; *Ingum Domini suave est*, against Prokopovič; *Apologia «Petra fidei» adversus Buddaei criminationes*; *Refutatio mendaciorum Rascolnicorum*. The last of these works was the only one printed (Mossa 1745, posthumous).
MAURIZIO GORDILLO