Gennadios II Scholarios of Constantinople (1400 – 1473)

Gennadios II Scholarios of Constantinople (1400 – 1473)

Born Georgios Kourtesios in Constantinople, from a family with roots from Thessaly, he was a philosopher and theologian, as well as being Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, from 1454-1465. He was the 1st Patriarch after the Fall of Constantinople and the end of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.

Fluent in Greek and Latin, he studied philosophy, law and theology and was particularly influenced by the works of Aristotle.

During the early 15th century, as the advance of the Turks towards Constantinople continued to threaten the Empire, many prominent Greek Orthodox, began to flirt with the idea of approaching the Latin Catholics for assistance. Through the restoration of unity, between Greek and Latin Christianity, which had been ruptured during the Great Schism of 1054.

This culminated with the Council of Ferrara-Florence of 1438-1439.

At first, Gennadios was sympathetic to such a Union, but being a pupil of Mark of Ephesus, who was a staunch opponent of the Catholics and of the proposed union, he followed his mentor in its rejection, the Latin Catholics demands and the concessions by the Greek Orthodox were far too great for it to be considered viable, it also would have required the subjugation of the Greek Orthodox, to the Latin Catholics.

After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Gennadios was elected Patriarch and immediately faced many issues, like finding new headquarters for the Patriarchate, after Agia Sofia was ransacked and converted into a mosque and the defilement of many other prominent Greek Orthodox churches, monasteries and other buildings. He almost resigned in protest numerous times, following the continued persecutions of the Greek Orthodox people by the Turkish occupiers.

His time as Patriarch although short, is considered very important, as he laid the foundations for the continuation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the context of the Ottoman Empire. Its continued presence as an institution, laid the groundwork for the numerous uprisings and revolts during Turkish occupation and the eventual re-emergence of the Greek nation during the Revolution of 1821.

Gennadios Scholarios retired to the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner in Serres, where he lived until his death in 1473. His memory is honoured by the Orthodox Church on August 25.