Dionysius II ( el, ), (? – July 1556) was

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...

from 1546 to 1556.

Life

Dionysius was born in

Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most notabl ...

(now part of

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

). In 1516 he was appointed

Metropolitan of Nicomedia The Metropolis of Nicomedia ( el, Μητρόπολις Νικομηδείας) was an ecclesiastical territory (metropolis) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in northwestern Asia Minor, modern Turkey. Christianity spread in Nicomedia ...

and he was consecrated bishop by Patriarch Theoleptus I. Dionysius was designed by Patriarch Jeremias I as his successor, and, after Jeremias' death, he was actually elected on 17 April 1546 supported by popular manifestations and against the hopes of the

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. For instance, the Holy Synod is a ruling body of the Georgian Orthodox C ...

. During his Patriarchate he was blamed for having raised the appointment fee (''peshtesh'') due to the

Ottoman Sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

to three thousand Écus and for the demolition, ordered by the Sultan, of the great cross on the roof of the

Pammakaristos Church The Pammakaristos Church, also known as the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos ( el, , "All-Blessed Mother of God"), is one of the most famous Byzantine churches in Istanbul, Turkey, and was the last pre- Ottoman building to house the Ecumenical ...

, at the time the seat of the Patriarchate. The more significant event of his patriarchate was the 1546 travel in Italy of the young Metropolitan of Caesaria, Metrophanes, who years later would become Patriarch. Dionysius sent Metrophanes to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

mainly to raise funds, but Metrophanes went also to Rome and met the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. In 1548 these news caused a great concern in a part of the Greek population of Constantinople, with riots and an attempt to murder Dionysius, who was considered as guilty as Metrophanes. Dionysius was on the point of being deposed, but no actions were taken against him because he enjoyed the support of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ� ...

. Dionysius reigned until he died. The date of his death is disputed among scholars, and various dates have been proposed, such as 1554 and 1555, but the correct date seems to be July 1556, a conclusion supported by Venetian documents. He was buried in the Kamariotissa Monastery on the island of

Chalki Halki ( el, Χάλκη; alternatively ''Chalce'' or ''Chalki'') is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, some west of Rhodes. With an area of , it is the smallest inhabited island of the Dodecanese. It ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dionysius 02 Of Constantinople, Patriarch 1556 deaths 16th-century Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople 16th-century Greek clergy 16th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Year of birth unknown Bishops of Nicomedia Clergy from Istanbul Constantinopolitan Greeks People from Beyoğlu People from Galata