John XII (? – after 1308) was the
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 ...
from 1294 to 1303. John XII was born in Sozopolis on the western
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
coast (now
Sozopol,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
). Prior to becoming patriarch, he was known as ''Kosmas''.
He crowned Michael IX as co-emperor on 21 May 1294.
He led a coalition of bishops against Andronicus II's attempt to use the power of the Church to suppress uprisings.
References
13th-century patriarchs of Constantinople
People from Sozopol
14th-century patriarchs of Constantinople
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