Paisius II of Constantinople

Paisius II of Constantinople
Paisius II of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Church	Church of Constantinople
In office	20 November 1726 – September 1732; August 1740 – May 1743; March 1744 –; 28 September 1748; May 1751 – September 1752
Predecessor	Callinicus III of Constantinople; Neophytus VI of Constantinople; Cyril V of Constantinople
Successor	Jeremias III of Constantinople; Neophytus VI of Constantinople; Cyril V of Constantinople
Previous post(s)	Metropolis of Nicomedia
Personal details
Born	Kioumourtzoglou; Caesarea
Died	11 December 1756; Halki

Paisius II of Constantinople (Greek: Παΐσιος Κιουμουρτζόγλου; died 11 December 1756) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for four times in the 18th century.^[1]

Life

Paisius was born in Caesarea and his family name was Kioumourtzoglou (a common Turkish name among Karamanlides and the Cappadocian Greeks). He probably moved early to Constantinople and became Metropolis of Nicomedia before 1716,^[2]^: 186 probably in 1712.^[3]

The first time that Paisius was elected as Patriarch of Constantinople was on 20 November 1726, the day when Callinicus III of Constantinople was found dead by heart attack before his enthronement, Paisius II was immediately chosen by the faction that previously elected Callinicus III to preclude a return to the throne of Jeremias III of Constantinople.^[2]^: 47 The first years of his reign were marked by clashes with the faction gathered around the community of Caesarea, whose main representatives were Jeremias III and later Neophytus VI of Constantinople, despite the fact that Paisius II himself was born in this town. In 1731 this faction tried to depose him and to restore Jeremias III, but failed. A second attempt in September 1732 was successful when Jeremias III overthrew him.^[3] When later Jeremias III had to retire due to health problems, a Patriarch from Nicomedia (Seraphim I of Constantinople) followed and later again one from Caesarea (Neophytus VI) who reigned six years.

The reign of Neophytus VI was ended by a decision of the Grand vizier, who allowed Paisius II to be reinstalled for his second term in August 1740. However three years later, in May 1743, Paisius II was deposed by the Ottoman authorities for financial issues and Neophytus VI was restored.^[3]

The third reign of Paisius II began in March 1744, when he overthrew Neophytus VI. Shortly after however a new opponent arose: the Metropolis of Nicomedia and future Patriarch Cyril V of Constantinople, who voiced the complaints against him and was able to depose him on 28 September 1748. The complaints were due mainly to Paisius II's financial management of the millet, i.e. the Christian civil community ruled by the Patriarch, to reduce the high levels of debts, Paisius II increased the taxation, particularly of the laity, and this caused discontent with him.^[3]

Paisius II's fourth term was an interlude in the reign of Cyril V, and began in last days of May 1751 when Cyril V was actually deposed by the Metropolitans both because of his regulations on taxes and because of his strong position in favor of the necessity of re-baptism of Armenian and Latin converts. Cyril V however was supported by a large portion of the populace and by the demagogic monk Auxentius, who instigated riots which culminated in a violent assault on the Patriarchate and the seizure of Paisius II himself.^[4] Paisius II was subsequently deposed and Cyril V was reinstated on 7 September 1752 after a gift to the Ottoman authorities of 45,000 piastres.^[5]^: 166

After his fourth and final deposition, Paisius II retired in the monastery of Kamariotissa on island of Halki, where he died on 11 December 1756.^[3]

Notes and references

^ "Παΐσιος Β'". Ecumenical Patriarchate. Retrieved 28 June 2011. (in Greek).
^ ^a ^b Kiminas, Demetrius (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press. pp. 41, 47, 186. ISBN 978-1-4344-5876-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Moustakas Konstantinos. "Παΐσιος Β΄ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως". Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Retrieved 28 June 2011. (in Greek).
^ Frazee, Charles (2006). Catholics and sultans - The church and the Ottoman Empire 1453–1923. Cambridge University Press. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0-521-02700-4.
^ Papadopoulos, Theodōros (1952). Studies and documents relating to the history of the Greek Church and people under Turkish domination. Brussels. p. 166.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Bibliography

Frazee, Charles (2006) [1983]. Catholics and Sultans - The Church and the Ottoman Empire 1453–1923. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521027007.

Religious titles
Preceded by Callinicus III	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1726 – 1732	Succeeded by Jeremias III
Preceded by Neophytus VI	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1740 – 1743	Succeeded by Neophytus VI
Preceded by Neophytus VI	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1744 – 1748	Succeeded by Cyril V
Preceded by Cyril V	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1751 – 1752	Succeeded by Cyril V

[EP-1] "Παΐσιος Β'". Ecumenical Patriarchate. Retrieved 28 June 2011. (in Greek).

[Kiminas-2] Kiminas, Demetrius (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press. pp. 41, 47, 186. ISBN 978-1-4344-5876-6.

[EHW-3] Moustakas Konstantinos. "Παΐσιος Β΄ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως". Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Retrieved 28 June 2011. (in Greek).

[Frazee-4] Frazee, Charles (2006). Catholics and sultans - The church and the Ottoman Empire 1453–1923. Cambridge University Press. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0-521-02700-4.

[Papadopoulos-5] Papadopoulos, Theodōros (1952). Studies and documents relating to the history of the Greek Church and people under Turkish domination. Brussels. p. 166.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[1]

v t e Bishops of Byzantium and Patriarchs of Constantinople
Bishops of Byzantium (Roman period, 38–330 AD)	Andrew Stachys Onesimus Polycarpus I Plutarch Sedecion Diogenes Eleutherius Felix Polycarpus II Athenodorus Euzois Laurence Alypius Pertinax Olympianus Marcus I Philadelphus Cyriacus I Castinus Eugenius I Titus Dometius Rufinus Probus Metrophanes Alexander
Archbishops of Constantinople (Roman period, 330–451 AD)	Alexander Paul I Eusebius Macedonius I Eudoxius Evagrius Demophilus Maximus I Gregory I Nectarius John I Chrysostom Arsacius Atticus Sisinnius I Nestorius Maximianus Proclus Flavian Anatolius
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Byzantine period, 451–1453 AD)	Anatolius Gennadius I Acacius Fravitta Euphemius Macedonius II Timothy I John II Epiphanius Anthimus I Menas Eutychius John III John IV Cyriacus II Thomas I Sergius I Pyrrhus Paul II Peter Thomas II John V Constantine I Theodore I George I Paul III Callinicus I Cyrus John VI Germanus I Anastasius Constantine II Nicetas I Paul IV Tarasius Nicephorus I Theodotus I Antony I John VII Methodius I Ignatios Photios I Stephen I Antony II Nicholas I Εuthymius I Stephen II Tryphon Theophylact Polyeuctus Βasil I Αntony III Nicholas II Sisinnius II Sergius II Eustathius Alexius Michael I Constantine III John VIII Cosmas I Eustratius Nicholas III John IX Leo Michael II Cosmas II Nicholas IV Theodotus II Neophytus I Constantine IV Luke Michael III Chariton Theodosius I Basil II Nicetas II Leontius Dositheus George II John X Michael IV^† Theodore II^† Maximus II^† Μanuel I^† Germanus II^† Methodius II^† Manuel II^† Arsenius^† Nicephorus II^† Germanus III Joseph I John XI Gregory II Athanasius I John XII Nephon I John XIII Gerasimus I Isaias John XIV Isidore I Callistus I Philotheus Macarius Nilus Antony IV Callistus II Matthew I Euthymius II Joseph II Metrophanes II Gregory III Athanasius II
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Ottoman period, 1453–1923 AD)	Gennadius II Isidore II Joasaph I Sophronius I Mark II Symeon I Dionysius I Raphael I Maximus III Nephon II Maximus IV Joachim I Pachomius I Theoleptus I Jeremias I Joannicius I Dionysius II Joasaph II Metrophanes III Jeremias II Pachomius II Theoleptus II Matthew II Gabriel I Theophanes I Meletius I Neophytus II Raphael II Cyril I Timothy II Gregory IV Anthimus II Cyril II Athanasius III Neophytus III Parthenius I Parthenius II Joannicius II Cyril III Paisius I Parthenius III Gabriel II Parthenius IV Dionysius III Clement Methodius III Dionysius IV Gerasimus II Athanasius IV James Callinicus II Neophytus IV Gabriel III Neophytus V Cyprianus Athanasius V Cyril IV Cosmas III Jeremias III (Callinicus III) Paisius II Seraphim I Neophytus VI Cyril V Callinicus IV (III) Seraphim II Joannicius III Samuel Meletius II Theodosius II Sophronius II Gabriel IV Procopius Neophytus VII Gerasimus III Gregory V Callinicus V (IV) Jeremias IV Cyril VI Eugenius II Anthimus III Chrysanthus Agathangelus Constantius I Constantius II Gregory VI Anthimus IV Anthimus V Germanus IV Meletius III Anthimus VI Cyril VII Joachim II Sophronius III Joachim III Joachim IV Dionysius V Neophytus VIII Anthimus VII Constantine V Germanus V Meletius IV
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Turkish period, since 1923 AD)	Gregory VII Constantine VI Basil III Photius II Benjamin Maximus V Athenagoras Demetrius Bartholomew
^† in exile at Nicaea Christianity portal