Patriarch Joannicius III of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Joannicius III born Ioannis Karatzas, was Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of the Serbs
from 1739 to 1746 and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1761 to 1763. The ordinal number
of his title is III both for his office as Patriarch of Pec and of Constantinople.
and Phanariote
Karatzas
(or Caradja) family. He became a deacon
serving Patriarch Paisius II and later he was appointed protosyncellus
.
With the 1739 Treaty of Belgrade
which ended the Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739, the Kingdom of Serbia ceased to exist. The Ottoman sultan deposed the pro-Serbian Patriarch of Peć Arsenije IV and in his place appointed the Greek Joannicius, who took the title of Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of the Serbs. The previous Patriarch Arsenije IV moved north to the Habsburg Monarchy
along with many Serbs
, in what is known as the Second Serbian Migration. Arsenije IV became Metropolitan of Karlovci
, maintaining however deep connections with the Serbs who remained in the Ottoman Empire
under the jurisdiction of Joannicius. Joannicius remained Patriarch of Peć until 1746, when, burdened with debts due to his high-living, he was forced to sell the title to pay his creditors.
After returning to Constantinople
, in September 1747 he obtained an appointment as Metropolitan of Chalcedon
. On 26 March 1761 he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, an office he maintained until 21 May 1763, when he was deposed and exiled to Mount Athos
.
Thank to the support of his family, Joannicius returned from the exile and obtained the revenue from the monastery of the island of Halki near Constantinople, where he died in 1793.
Patriarch of Serbia
This is a list of the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Peć and the Serbs from the creation of the church as an archdiocese in 1219 to today's Patriarchate. The list includes all the Archbishops and Patriarchs that led the Serbian Orthodox community under Patriarchate of Peć...
from 1739 to 1746 and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1761 to 1763. The ordinal number
Monarchical ordinal
Ordinal numbers or regnal numbers are used to distinguish among persons with the same name who held the same office. Most importantly, they are used to distinguish monarchs...
of his title is III both for his office as Patriarch of Pec and of Constantinople.
Life
Joannicius was born circa 1700 from the influential ByzantineByzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenised citizens of the Byzantine Empire, centered mainly in Constantinople, the southern Balkans, the Greek islands, Asia Minor , Cyprus and the large urban centres of the Near East...
and Phanariote
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
Karatzas
Caradja
Caradja, Karadja or Caragea is an aristocratic family of Byzantine and Phanariote Greek origins, present as dignitaries in the Ottoman Empire, and established as hospodars and boyars in the Danubian Principalities from the late 16th century...
(or Caradja) family. He became a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
serving Patriarch Paisius II and later he was appointed protosyncellus
Protosyncellus
A protosyncellus or protosynkellos is the principal deputy of the bishop of an eparchy for the exercise of administrative authority in an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic church...
.
With the 1739 Treaty of Belgrade
Treaty of Belgrade
The Treaty of Belgrade was the peace treaty signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade, Habsburg Kingdom of Serbia , by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy on the other....
which ended the Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739, the Kingdom of Serbia ceased to exist. The Ottoman sultan deposed the pro-Serbian Patriarch of Peć Arsenije IV and in his place appointed the Greek Joannicius, who took the title of Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of the Serbs. The previous Patriarch Arsenije IV moved north to the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
along with many Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, in what is known as the Second Serbian Migration. Arsenije IV became Metropolitan of Karlovci
Metropolitanate of Karlovci
The Metropolitanate of Karlovci was a metropolitanate of the Orthodox Church that existed between 1691 and 1848. Between 1691 and 1706 it was known as the Metropolitanate of Sentandreja, between 1708 and 1713 as the Metropolitanate of Krušedol, and between 1713 and 1848 as the Metropolitanate of...
, maintaining however deep connections with the Serbs who remained 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...
under the jurisdiction of Joannicius. Joannicius remained Patriarch of Peć until 1746, when, burdened with debts due to his high-living, he was forced to sell the title to pay his creditors.
After returning to Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, in September 1747 he obtained an appointment as Metropolitan of Chalcedon
Chalcedon
Chalcedon , sometimes transliterated as Chalkedon) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari . It is now a district of the city of Istanbul named Kadıköy...
. On 26 March 1761 he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, an office he maintained until 21 May 1763, when he was deposed and exiled to Mount Athos
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...
.
Thank to the support of his family, Joannicius returned from the exile and obtained the revenue from the monastery of the island of Halki near Constantinople, where he died in 1793.