Patriarch Cyril II of Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
Cyril II of Jerusalem was born in 1792 in the island of Samos
. In 1816 he was ordained a deacon, then a presbyter, was abbot of the monastery. In 1835 he became Archbishop of Sebasteia and in 1838 of Lydia
. In 1845 he was elected as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
under the name Cyril II (1846–1872) by the Hagiotaphites (Confraternity of the Holy Sepulchre) and remains to 1872. On 28 February 1870, Sultan
Abdülaziz I signed a firman
which created the Bulgarian Exarchate
subjectеd to the Ecumenical Patriarchate but yet as an representative of the Bulgarian millet
in the Ottoman Empire
. Cyril II participated in the Council in Constantinople, chaired by Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VI, in September 1872, wherein the Patriarchs of Alexandria
and Antioch
also participated and which on 18/30 September declared the Bulgarian Exarchate
as schismatic
and its adherents excommunicated. Cyril opposed the declaration of schism and declined to sign the Council's decisions. On September 14, 1872 Cyril II left the council in Constantinople by steamer to Jaffa and Jerusalem. Dethroned from the patriarchal throne on 12 December 1872, in his absence.
Cyril II had many supporters - especially among Christian Arabs, but also among high-ranking dignitaries, many of whom suffer because of it.
Cyril's successor on the patriarchal throne, Procopius, remained little more than two years. On 26 February 1875, mainly under the pressure of the Arab population and Orthodox clergy, he was deposed. Arab notables from Jerusalem wanted former patriarch Cyril II to be a candidate for the vacant throne, but in a pastoral message, published in the newspapers, he declined this invitation on grounds of advanced age. He died on 18 August 1877
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
. In 1816 he was ordained a deacon, then a presbyter, was abbot of the monastery. In 1835 he became Archbishop of Sebasteia and in 1838 of Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
. In 1845 he was elected as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
under the name Cyril II (1846–1872) by the Hagiotaphites (Confraternity of the Holy Sepulchre) and remains to 1872. On 28 February 1870, Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Abdülaziz I signed a firman
Firman
A firman is a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in certain historical Islamic states, including the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, State of Hyderabad, and Iran under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The word firman comes from the meaning "decree" or "order"...
which created the Bulgarian Exarchate
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953....
subjectеd to the Ecumenical Patriarchate but yet as an representative of the Bulgarian millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
in the Ottoman Empire
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...
. Cyril II participated in the Council in Constantinople, chaired by Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VI, in September 1872, wherein the Patriarchs of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
also participated and which on 18/30 September declared the Bulgarian Exarchate
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953....
as schismatic
Schismatic
Depending on the context, schismatic may mean:* a member of a schism, or, as an adjective, of or pertaining to a schism* pertaining to the schisma in music* Schismatic temperament...
and its adherents excommunicated. Cyril opposed the declaration of schism and declined to sign the Council's decisions. On September 14, 1872 Cyril II left the council in Constantinople by steamer to Jaffa and Jerusalem. Dethroned from the patriarchal throne on 12 December 1872, in his absence.
Cyril II had many supporters - especially among Christian Arabs, but also among high-ranking dignitaries, many of whom suffer because of it.
Cyril's successor on the patriarchal throne, Procopius, remained little more than two years. On 26 February 1875, mainly under the pressure of the Arab population and Orthodox clergy, he was deposed. Arab notables from Jerusalem wanted former patriarch Cyril II to be a candidate for the vacant throne, but in a pastoral message, published in the newspapers, he declined this invitation on grounds of advanced age. He died on 18 August 1877
External links
- http://synpress-classic.dveri.bg/21-2002/pKiril.htm
- http://synpress-classic.dveri.bg/21-2002/ubilei.htm
- http://www.pravoslavie.domainbg.com/03/snegarov/sneg-shizmata-iztoc.html