Raphael II (Greek: Ραφαήλ, Rafail; died after 1607) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1603 to 1607.[1]
Raphael II | |
|---|---|
| Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople | |
| Church | Church of Constantinople |
| Installed | March 1603 |
| Term ended | October 1607 |
| Predecessor | Matthew II |
| Successor | Neophytus II |
| Previous post(s) | Bishop of Mithymna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | unknown |
| Died | after 1607 |
Life
editRaphael was Bishop of Mithymna when, in March 1603, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch.[2] During his patriarchate, he addressed the regulation of many ecclesiastical matters and issued a number of standard provisions. The clashes with the previous Patriarch Neophytus II caused many problems in the Church, to the point that Cyril Lucaris, in a letter to the Bishop of Heraclea Dionysius, wrote that "... Raphael ruled the Patriarchate as a tyrant for more than four years ...".
Raphael showed interest in a possible union with the Western Church and he began a secret correspondence with the Pope.[3] He remained Patriarch until October 1607, when he was forcibly deposed by Sultan Ahmed I and suffered a violent death in exile.
Notes
edit- ^ Kiminas, Demetrius (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press LLC. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4344-5876-6.
- ^ "Ραφαὴλ Β´". Ecumenical Patriarchate. Retrieved 16 Sep 2011.(in Greek)
- ^ Runciman, Steven (1985). The Great Church in captivity. Cambridge University Press. pp. 270. ISBN 978-0-521-31310-0.