Patriarch Joasaph II of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Joasaph II, known as "the Magnificent" , was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1556 to 1565.
. He studied in Ioannina
and then in Nafplio, learning Arabic
, Persian
and Turkish
. In 1535 he was consecrated bishop of Adrianople by Patriarch Jeremias I
.
After the death of the Patriarch Dionysius II, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in July or August 1556. He was successful in reducing the appointment fee (peshtesh) due to the Ottoman Sultan to one thousand Écus.
Joasaph promoted learning among the clergy, reformed the administration of the Church assets, and improved the finances reducing by half the debts of the Patriarchate. He also began a major enlargement of the Patriarchal palace. Due to these achievements, he was given the sobriquet the Magnificent . In 1556 he established in Constantinople a Patriarchal School, the forerunner of the Great School of the Nation
.
He showed interest in the Protestant Reformation
and in 1558 he sent to Wittenberg
the deacon Demetrios to collect information. In 1559 the Protestant leader Melanchthon sent him a letter along with a translation of the Augsburg Confession
, but it didn't produce any effect. Some scholars suggest that Melanchthon's letter never reached Constantinople.
Joasaph's expensive works, his haughty manner towards the clergy and his independent management of the finances created many opponents among the Greek community. The ultimate cause of his deposition was related to the request, in 1557, by Ivan the Terrible of Russia to have his tile of Tsar formally confirmed. In place of summoning a synod to deliberate the issue, Joasaph sent to Russia a counterfeit synodical document in order to collect the rich reward for himself. His deceit was discovered, and he was deposed by a synod of sixty bishops on 15 January 1565 and exiled to Mount Athos
.
Some time later he was allowed by the Holy Synod
to be reinstated in the Diocese of Adrianople, where he remained until his death.
Life
Joasaph was born in ThraceThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. He studied in Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
and then in Nafplio, learning Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. In 1535 he was consecrated bishop of Adrianople by Patriarch Jeremias I
Patriarch Jeremias I of Constantinople
-Further reading:...
.
After the death of the Patriarch Dionysius II, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in July or August 1556. He was successful in reducing the appointment fee (peshtesh) due to the Ottoman Sultan to one thousand Écus.
Joasaph promoted learning among the clergy, reformed the administration of the Church assets, and improved the finances reducing by half the debts of the Patriarchate. He also began a major enlargement of the Patriarchal palace. Due to these achievements, he was given the sobriquet the Magnificent . In 1556 he established in Constantinople a Patriarchal School, the forerunner of the Great School of the Nation
Phanar Greek Orthodox College
-See also:*Fener*Greeks in Turkey*Zografeion Lyceum*List of schools in Istanbul*Ottoman Greeks...
.
He showed interest in the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and in 1558 he sent to Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
the deacon Demetrios to collect information. In 1559 the Protestant leader Melanchthon sent him a letter along with a translation of the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, but it didn't produce any effect. Some scholars suggest that Melanchthon's letter never reached Constantinople.
Joasaph's expensive works, his haughty manner towards the clergy and his independent management of the finances created many opponents among the Greek community. The ultimate cause of his deposition was related to the request, in 1557, by Ivan the Terrible of Russia to have his tile of Tsar formally confirmed. In place of summoning a synod to deliberate the issue, Joasaph sent to Russia a counterfeit synodical document in order to collect the rich reward for himself. His deceit was discovered, and he was deposed by a synod of sixty bishops on 15 January 1565 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...
.
Some time later he was allowed by 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...
to be reinstated in the Diocese of Adrianople, where he remained until his death.