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He was born in Gornja Vrbava, a village near present-day Gornji Milanovac. He joined the monastery before 1810,[1] in March of that year[2] he became Hegumen of the Vraćevšnica monastery.[3] He did not take part in the First Serbian Uprising, but he joined the Second Serbian Uprising, participated in the Takovo Meeting and distinguished himself in the battles of Ljubić and Palež.[2] Thanks to his personal courage, Melentije gained the respect of Prince Miloš Obrenović, who in 1818 appointed him a personal confessor of the Obrenović dynasty. With time, Melentije became his adviser, initially in religious matters and later also in general political matters. In 1823, the Prince entrusted him with the organization of a state school system.[4]
Metropolitan
When the Prince reached an agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on the creation of the autonomous Metropolitanate of Belgrade, he pointed out Melentije as the most appropriate candidate. In recommending Melentije to accept chirotony as bishop, the Prince called him the most honest, the most talented and the most respected among the Serb clergy.[3] Melentije was ordained bishop by the Ecumenical Patriarch of ConstantinopleConstantius I on 18 August 1831. A year later, the autonomy of the Metropolitanate of Belgrade was confirmed.[5] At that moment he was seriously ill.[4]
Melentije, while holding office, determined the administrative division of the Metropolitanate to eparchies and organized a metropolitan office.[4] He forbade church singing in Greek language in Belgrade churches, and he tried to create a printing house in Belgrade; he himself resided in Kragujevac.[6] According to Radomir Popović, a dispute arose between him and the Prince in the last period of Melentije's administration.[7]
