Metrophanes III of Constantinople facts for kids

Metrophanes III of Byzantium (born 1520, died August 9, 1580) was an important leader in the Church of Constantinople. He served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople twice. His first time was from 1565 to 1572, and his second time was from 1579 to 1580.

The Early Life of Metrophanes

Metrophanes was born in 1520. His father was a merchant from Bulgaria. He was born in a village called Agia Paraskevi, which is now part of Istanbul. Because he was from this area, he was known as Byzantios, meaning "of Byzantium". His first name was either Manuel or George.

Becoming a Church Leader

In 1546, Metrophanes became the Metropolitan of Caesarea. A Metropolitan is a high-ranking bishop. He was appointed by his friend, Patriarch Dionysius II.

Patriarch Dionysius sent Metrophanes to Venice. His main task was to raise money for the church. But Metrophanes also visited Rome and met the Pope.

A Difficult Time

News of Metrophanes meeting the Pope caused problems in 1548. Some Greek people in Constantinople were very worried. They thought Dionysius and Metrophanes were too friendly with Western churches. There were even riots, and someone tried to hurt Dionysius.

Dionysius was almost removed from his position. But he had the support of Suleiman the Magnificent, a powerful ruler. So, no action was taken against him. Metrophanes, however, was removed from his role in Caesarea.

In 1551, Metrophanes was forgiven. He went to live in the Monastery of the Holy Trinity. This monastery was on the island of Chalki. He spent his time there taking care of and expanding the monastery's library.

Serving as Patriarch

Metrophanes was chosen to be the Patriarch for the first time in early 1565. He had strong support from a rich and powerful person named Michael Cantacuzene.

He led the church for seven years. During this time, he worked to improve the church's money situation. He even traveled to Moldavia to help with this.

An Open-Minded Leader

Metrophanes was a very open-minded person. He loved learning and was friendly towards people from Western churches. This included both Catholics and Protestants.

In 1568, Metrophanes wrote an important letter. In this letter, he strongly spoke out against the unfair treatment of Jewish people in Crete. He said that injustice is always wrong, no matter who it is done to. He reminded people that Jesus Christ taught not to oppress anyone. He believed that people should not harm others just because they have a different faith.

Losing and Regaining His Role

Metrophanes was removed from his position on May 4, 1572. This happened because Michael Cantacuzene started supporting a younger leader, Jeremias II Tranos.

After being removed, Metrophanes was given a new role. He became a bishop in Larissa and Chios. This role was eis zoarkeian, meaning he did not have pastoral duties. It was a way to give him an income. He went back to live at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity near the capital.

Metrophanes tried to become Patriarch again. In 1573, he was sent away to Mount Athos. Six years later, things changed. Michael Cantacuzene was executed, and a powerful leader named Mehmed was killed. Jeremias lost his supporters.

Because of these changes, Metrophanes was able to become Patriarch again. This happened on November 25, 1579. He died a few months later, on August 9, 1580. He was buried in the Pammakaristos Church, which was the main church for the Patriarch at that time.