Patriarch Dionysius I of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Dionysius I was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople two times, from 1466 to 1471 and from 1488 to 1490. He is honoured as a saint
in the Eastern Orthodox Church
and his feast day is November 23.
, in the Peloponnese
. He became a monk and entered in a monastery in Constantinople
where he was a pupil of Mark
, Archbishop
of Ephesus
, who ordained him as priest
. During the Fall of Constantinople
in 1453 he was enslaved by the Ottomans
, but he was bought and freed some time later in Adrianople by an archon
known as Kyritzes (probably Demetrios Apokaukos, one of the two Greek secretaries of Sultan Mehmed II).
Following his release Dionysius became highly thought of by Mara Branković
, daughter of the Serbian
Despot Đurađ Branković and one of the wives of Sultan Murad II
, the father of Mehmed II. Although Mara remained a life-long Christian, she was quite influential with Mehmed. Supported by Mara, Dionysius was appointed Metropolitan
of Philippopolis
by Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius.
At that time the Patriarchal throne was contested by two factions, one led by the lay
archon
s George Galesiotes (the Great Chartophylax
) and Manuel Christonymos (the future Patriarch Maximus III
), the other composed of the nobles of the former Empire of Trebizond
who were forced to move to Constantinople after Trebizond's fall to the Ottomans in 1461. The former supported Mark II
as Patriarch, the latter supported Symeon I
.
In 1466 Symeon was successful in deposing Mark II and obtaining the throne after presenting the Ottoman government
with 2000 pieces of gold. Symeon's first reign lasted only a short time, because his simoniac action outraged Mara Branković, who went to Constantinople to complain to Mehmed. Further to her requests, and to a donation by her of 2000 pieces of gold, the Sultan deposed Symeon and appointed to the Patriarchate the candidate of Mara, i.e. Dionysius. This succession of patriarchs is proposed by scholars such as Kiminas, Runciman, Grumel and Gemanos of Sardeis, while Laurent and Podskalsky suggest that it was Mark and not Symeon who bought the throne the first time, placing the reign of Mark after the one of Symeon. There is however consensus on the fact that Dionysius, who was not involved in any of the two factions, became Patriarch due to the intervention of Mara on his behalf.
The date of appointment of Dionysius as Patriarch is most likely the end of 1466, because on 15 January 1467 he signed an act by which the Holy Synod
stripped of any ecclesiastic dignity George Galesiotes and Manuel Christonymos. However these two lay nobles
soon regained their influence and strongly opposed Dionysius, who was opposed also by the supporters of Symeon.
Dionysius reigned with the protection of Mara till the end of 1471, when his opponents accused him of having being converted to Islam
for a short time and of being consequently circumcised. A synod was gathered by his opponents to judge him. Despite revealing his penis so that all present could verify that he was not circumcised, he was deposed and replaced by Symeon I
. Laurent suggests a second short patriarchate of Mark II
before Symeon.
After his deposition in 1471, Dionysius moved to the monastery of Eikosifinissa in Drama
. In July 1488 he was elected as Patriarch for a second term supported by Greek public opinion, and he reigned remaining in his monastery. He was deposed at the end of 1490 because the Athonite
monks were annoyed by him. Dionysius died in 1492.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and his feast day is November 23.
Life
Dionysius was born in DimitsanaDimitsana
Dimitsana is a village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is built on the ruins of the ancient town Teuthis...
, in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. He became a monk and entered in a monastery in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
where he was a pupil of Mark
Mark of Ephesus
Mark of Ephesus , a 15th century Archbishop of Ephesus, is famous for his defense of Eastern Orthodoxy at the Council of Florence in spite of Byzantine Emperor John VIII Palaeologus and Pope Eugene IV...
, Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, who ordained him as priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. During the Fall of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
in 1453 he was enslaved by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, but he was bought and freed some time later in Adrianople by an archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
known as Kyritzes (probably Demetrios Apokaukos, one of the two Greek secretaries of Sultan Mehmed II).
Following his release Dionysius became highly thought of by Mara Branković
Mara Brankovic
Mara Branković , also known as Mara Hatun, Despina Hatun, or Amerissa, was the daughter of Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković and Eirene Kantakouzene...
, daughter of the Serbian
Serbians
Serbians may refer to people who are identified with the country of Serbia, or people of the Serb ethnic group.However it could also be used as the translation of Serbian word "Србијанци" , especially when distinction is made between the two...
Despot Đurađ Branković and one of the wives of Sultan Murad II
Murad II
Murad II Kodja was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1451 ....
, the father of Mehmed II. Although Mara remained a life-long Christian, she was quite influential with Mehmed. Supported by Mara, Dionysius was appointed Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Philippopolis
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
by Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius.
At that time the Patriarchal throne was contested by two factions, one led by the lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
s George Galesiotes (the Great Chartophylax
Chartophylax
A chartophylax , sometimes also referred to as a chartoularios, was an ecclesiastical officer in charge of official documents and records in the Greek Orthodox Church in Byzantine times....
) and Manuel Christonymos (the future Patriarch Maximus III
Patriarch Maximus III of Constantinople
Maximus III , born Manuel Christonymos , was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1476 to his death in 1482, and a scholar. He is honoured as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and his feast day is November 17.-Life:...
), the other composed of the nobles of the former Empire of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
who were forced to move to Constantinople after Trebizond's fall to the Ottomans in 1461. The former supported Mark II
Patriarch Mark II of Constantinople
Mark II Xylokaravis was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1465 to 1466. In 1467 he became Archbishop of Ohrid, a post he held until his death.-Life:...
as Patriarch, the latter supported Symeon I
Patriarch Symeon I of Constantinople
Symeon I of Trebizond was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople three times: for a short time in 1466, from 1471 to 1475 and from 1482 to 1486. In 1484 he presided over the Synod of Constantinople of 1484 which repudiated the Union of Florence.-Life:...
.
In 1466 Symeon was successful in deposing Mark II and obtaining the throne after presenting the Ottoman government
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
with 2000 pieces of gold. Symeon's first reign lasted only a short time, because his simoniac action outraged Mara Branković, who went to Constantinople to complain to Mehmed. Further to her requests, and to a donation by her of 2000 pieces of gold, the Sultan deposed Symeon and appointed to the Patriarchate the candidate of Mara, i.e. Dionysius. This succession of patriarchs is proposed by scholars such as Kiminas, Runciman, Grumel and Gemanos of Sardeis, while Laurent and Podskalsky suggest that it was Mark and not Symeon who bought the throne the first time, placing the reign of Mark after the one of Symeon. There is however consensus on the fact that Dionysius, who was not involved in any of the two factions, became Patriarch due to the intervention of Mara on his behalf.
The date of appointment of Dionysius as Patriarch is most likely the end of 1466, because on 15 January 1467 he signed an act by which the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
stripped of any ecclesiastic dignity George Galesiotes and Manuel Christonymos. However these two lay nobles
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
soon regained their influence and strongly opposed Dionysius, who was opposed also by the supporters of Symeon.
Dionysius reigned with the protection of Mara till the end of 1471, when his opponents accused him of having being converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
for a short time and of being consequently circumcised. A synod was gathered by his opponents to judge him. Despite revealing his penis so that all present could verify that he was not circumcised, he was deposed and replaced by Symeon I
Patriarch Symeon I of Constantinople
Symeon I of Trebizond was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople three times: for a short time in 1466, from 1471 to 1475 and from 1482 to 1486. In 1484 he presided over the Synod of Constantinople of 1484 which repudiated the Union of Florence.-Life:...
. Laurent suggests a second short patriarchate of Mark II
Patriarch Mark II of Constantinople
Mark II Xylokaravis was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1465 to 1466. In 1467 he became Archbishop of Ohrid, a post he held until his death.-Life:...
before Symeon.
After his deposition in 1471, Dionysius moved to the monastery of Eikosifinissa in Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
. In July 1488 he was elected as Patriarch for a second term supported by Greek public opinion, and he reigned remaining in his monastery. He was deposed at the end of 1490 because the Athonite
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
monks were annoyed by him. Dionysius died in 1492.