Patriarch Raphael I of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Raphael I was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1475 to 1476. He was a Serb and he is therefore sometimes considered an intruder.
, the stepmother of Mehmed the Conqueror
. Raphael was successfully appointed Patriarch in the first months of 1475 promising the Sultan a yearly payment of 2000 gold florin
s and a one-time gift of 700 gold florins.
The Greek
community of Constantinople
had not part in his appointment and fiercely opposed him. The Metropolitan
of Heraclea, who traditionally enthroned the new patriarch, refused to consecrate him, and the liturgy was celebrated by the Metropolitan of Ancyra. For this reason he was not recognized as Patriarch by a large part of the Greek clergy.
The sources show a extended bias against Raphael. He is accused of not speaking properly Greek
and is denounced for his foreign accent and for his addiction to alcohol. It is reported that he was not able to stand during the ceremonies of the Great Friday
because he was drunk.
Raphael reigned for about one year, until early 1476: at the beginning of the year, when he had to pay the annual gift he had promised to the Sultan, he tried to collect it from his faithful, who denied their help. Unable to pay the requested fee, he was immediately deposed and imprisoned. He died shortly after still in chains.
Life
Raphael was a Serbian monk. He probably was chosen and supported as Patriarch by Mara BrankovicMara Brankovic
Mara Branković , also known as Mara Hatun, Despina Hatun, or Amerissa, was the daughter of Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković and Eirene Kantakouzene...
, the stepmother of Mehmed the Conqueror
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
. Raphael was successfully appointed Patriarch in the first months of 1475 promising the Sultan a yearly payment of 2000 gold florin
Florin
Florin derives from the city of Florence in Italy and frequently refers to the gold coin struck in 1252.This money format was plagiarized in other countries and the word florin is used, for example, in relation to the Dutch guilder and the coin first issued in 1344 by Edward III of England, then...
s and a one-time gift of 700 gold florins.
The Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
community of Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
had not part in his appointment and fiercely opposed him. The Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Heraclea, who traditionally enthroned the new patriarch, refused to consecrate him, and the liturgy was celebrated by the Metropolitan of Ancyra. For this reason he was not recognized as Patriarch by a large part of the Greek clergy.
The sources show a extended bias against Raphael. He is accused of not speaking properly Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
and is denounced for his foreign accent and for his addiction to alcohol. It is reported that he was not able to stand during the ceremonies of the Great Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
because he was drunk.
Raphael reigned for about one year, until early 1476: at the beginning of the year, when he had to pay the annual gift he had promised to the Sultan, he tried to collect it from his faithful, who denied their help. Unable to pay the requested fee, he was immediately deposed and imprisoned. He died shortly after still in chains.