Theophanes III of Jerusalem ( el, Θεοφάνης Γ΄ Ιεροσολύμων) was the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1608 to 1644. The early life of Patriarch Theophanes is largely unknown. As the successor to Sophronius IV, Theophanes continued Sophronius' defense of Orthodox rights to the Christian shrines in the Holy Lands. In 1611, with a decree from the Ottoman sultan, Theophanes was able to fend off the

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

from taking over the celebration of the Holy Light. Due to careless financial management by Serbian

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

s who lived at the Monastery of Saint Sabas, Theophanes was forced to sell holy heirlooms of value to avert surrendering the monastery and its ''

metochion A ''metochion'' or ''metochi'' ( gr, μετόχιον, metóchion or gr, μετόχι, metóchi; russian: подворье, podvorie) is an ecclesiastical embassy church within Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is usually from one autocephalous or ...

'' of the Archangel to the Latins and Armenians. During 1631 to 1634, the patriarch was successful in obtaining a number of firmans from Sultan

Murad IV Murad IV ( ota, مراد رابع, ''Murād-ı Rābiʿ''; tr, IV. Murad, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods. Murad IV was born in Cons ...

that continued those of Mehmed II and

Selim I Selim I ( ota, سليم الأول; tr, I. Selim; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute ( tr, links=no, Yavuz Sultan Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite las ...

, thus fending off demands of the French ambassador in Constantinople. In April 1619, Patriarch Theophanes traveled to Moscow to participate in the

enthronement An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite. ...

of Metropolitan Philaret as

Patriarch of Moscow The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' (russian: Патриарх Московский и всея Руси, translit=Patriarkh Moskovskij i vseja Rusi), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the official title of the Bishop of Mo ...

on June 1, 1619. Georges Florovsky, ''Ways of Russian Theology'', Notes to Chapter III
/ref> In August 1620, when he was returning from his visit to Moscow, Patriarch Theophanes erected a new metropolis on the territory of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

— the

Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia The Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia was a Metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church that was erected in 1620. The dioceses (eparchies) included th ...

. He consecrated

Job Boretsky Job Boretsky ( uk, link=no, Йов, secular name Ivan Matfeyevich Boretsky, pl, link=no, Iwan Borecki, died 2 March 1631) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Ortho ...

as the first metropolitan and also other bishops, during a stop in Kiev. These consecrations restored the Orthodox hierarchy in the area that was occupied by

Uniate The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...

bishops after the

Union of Brest The Union of Brest (; ; ; ) was the 1595–96 decision of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church eparchies (dioceses) in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to break relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and to enter into communion with, and place i ...

in 1596 when Metropolitan

Michael Rohoza Michael Rohoza ( be, Міхал Рагоза, uk, Михайло Рогоза, pl, Michał Rahoza, russian: Михаил Рагоза) (died 1599) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the E ...

turned to support the union. Patriarch Theophanes reposed in 1644.

References

Sources

Period of the Ottoman Turks Rule
* {{Authority control 17th-century Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem 17th-century Eastern Orthodox archbishops