Demetrius I (Papadopoulos) of Constantinople

File:Patriarch Demetrius.jpg

Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius

His All-Holiness Patriarch Demetrius I (Greek: Πατ�?ιά�?χης Δημήτ�?ιος Α', Dimitrios or Demetrios I), known to the world as Demetrios Papadopoulos of Panagiotis, was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1972-1991.

Born in Constantinople in 1914, he studied at the Theological School of Halki from 1931-1937, when he was ordained a Deacon and then in 1942, as a Priest. From October 1937 to August 1938, he served as the diocese Secretary and Preacher of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa. Between May 1939 and June 1945 he served as Deacon and Priest in the Ferikioi (Φε�?ίκιοϊ). He then served as the Head of Diocese of the Orthodox Community of Tehran from 1945-1950. During this time, with the honorary approval of the Shah, he taught Ancient Greek at the University of Tehran for one year. After his stint in Tehran, he returned to Ferikioi to serve as Head of Community from 1950-1964.

In 1964 he was elected as Bishop of Elea (Ελαίας) and named as Vicar-General (Α�?χιε�?ατικός) of Tatavla (Ταταο�?λων). He remained there until he was elected as Metropolitan of Imvros and Tenedos in 1972. Shortly thereafter, he was elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch on 16 July of that year.

He called the three first Panorthodox Meetings for the preparation of the Panorthodox Synod at the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Chambesy, Switzerland. His accepted at the Ecumenical Patriarchate two Archbishops of Canterbury and Pope John Paul II (30 November 1979) with whom he proclaimed the establishment of the official theological dialogue between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church. In 1987 travelled to Rome where he was warmly received by Pope John Paul II. At a solemn ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, the Patriarchs of East and West together recited, in Greek, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of the Church as originally expressed without the filioque.

He died in Constantinople on 2 October 1991, and his successor, Bartholomew I was elected 20 days later.

Sources

[1] [2] [3]

Ferikioi: [4] [5]

In Greek: [6]

Greek Wikipedia: [7]

Succession box: Demetrius I (Papadopoulos) of Constantinople
Preceded by: —	Metropolitan of Imvros and Tenedos 1974	Succeeded by: —
Preceded by: Athenagoras	Patriarch of Constantinople 1974-1991	Succeeded by: Bartholomew I

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