Michael II of Constantinople

Michael II of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Church	Church of Constantinople
In office	July 1143 – March 1146
Predecessor	Leo of Constantinople
Successor	Cosmas II of Constantinople
Personal details
Born	Michael Kourkouas
Died	After 1146

Michael II of Constantinople (Kourkouas or Oxeites Greek: Μιχαὴλ Κουρκούας (Ὀξείτης); died after 1146) was an Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (July 1143 – March 1146).

In early 1143, Patriarch Leo of Constantinople and Emperor John II Komnenos died within a few months of each other, bringing a period of turbulence to the Byzantine Church.^[1] John's appointed successor, his son Emperor Manuel I Komnenos arrived in Constantinople on 27 June 1143, from Cilicia where his father had died.^[2] In order to fully assure his position as emperor, Manuel I needed to arrange his coronation. However, to do this he first needed to appoint a patriarch. His choice fell on the abbot of the monastery of Oxeia, Michael Kourkouas.^[2] The coronation did not take place until 28 November 1143, because Michael II threatened to resign for unknown reasons.^[2]

During his reign, Michael II had to deal with the highly political trial of a monk called Niphon.^[2] On 22 February 1144, Michael II condemned Niphon for supporting two Cappadocian bishops who were accused of heresy and later found guilty of Bogomil practices.^[1]^[2] This forbade orthodox believers from associating with him.^[1]

Michael II resigned in March 1146 to return to the monastery of Oxeia,^[2] most likely because of disillusion with the emperor.^[1]

Notes and references

[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Paul Magdalino (2002), The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143–1180, Cambridge University Press, pp. 276-277
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Angold, Michael; Church and Society in Byzantium under the Comneni, 1081–1261, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p. 78-79

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Leo	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1143 – 1146	Succeeded by Cosmas II

v t e Bishops of Byzantium and Patriarchs of Constantinople
Bishops of Byzantium (Roman period, 38–330 AD)	Andrew Stachys Onesimus Polycarpus I Plutarch Sedecion Diogenes Eleutherius Felix Polycarpus II Athenodorus Euzois Laurence Alypius Pertinax Olympianus Marcus I Philadelphus Cyriacus I Castinus Eugenius I Titus Dometius Rufinus Probus Metrophanes Alexander
Archbishops of Constantinople (Roman period, 330–451 AD)	Alexander Paul I Eusebius Macedonius I Eudoxius Evagrius Demophilus Maximus I Gregory I Nectarius John I Chrysostom Arsacius Atticus Sisinnius I Nestorius Maximianus Proclus Flavian Anatolius
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Byzantine period, 451–1453 AD)	Anatolius Gennadius I Acacius Fravitta Euphemius Macedonius II Timothy I John II Epiphanius Anthimus I Menas Eutychius John III John IV Cyriacus II Thomas I Sergius I Pyrrhus Paul II Peter Thomas II John V Constantine I Theodore I George I Paul III Callinicus I Cyrus John VI Germanus I Anastasius Constantine II Nicetas I Paul IV Tarasius Nicephorus I Theodotus I Antony I John VII Methodius I Ignatios Photios I Stephen I Antony II Nicholas I Εuthymius I Stephen II Tryphon Theophylact Polyeuctus Βasil I Αntony III Nicholas II Sisinnius II Sergius II Eustathius Alexius Michael I Constantine III John VIII Cosmas I Eustratius Nicholas III John IX Leo Michael II Cosmas II Nicholas IV Theodotus II Neophytus I Constantine IV Luke Michael III Chariton Theodosius I Basil II Nicetas II Leontius Dositheus George II John X Michael IV^† Theodore II^† Maximus II^† Μanuel I^† Germanus II^† Methodius II^† Manuel II^† Arsenius^† Nicephorus II^† Germanus III Joseph I John XI Gregory II Athanasius I John XII Nephon I John XIII Gerasimus I Isaias John XIV Isidore I Callistus I Philotheus Macarius Nilus Antony IV Callistus II Matthew I Euthymius II Joseph II Metrophanes II Gregory III Athanasius II
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Ottoman period, 1453–1923 AD)	Gennadius II Isidore II Joasaph I Sophronius I Mark II Symeon I Dionysius I Raphael I Maximus III Nephon II Maximus IV Joachim I Pachomius I Theoleptus I Jeremias I Joannicius I Dionysius II Joasaph II Metrophanes III Jeremias II Pachomius II Theoleptus II Matthew II Gabriel I Theophanes I Meletius I Neophytus II Raphael II Cyril I Timothy II Gregory IV Anthimus II Cyril II Athanasius III Neophytus III Parthenius I Parthenius II Joannicius II Cyril III Paisius I Parthenius III Gabriel II Parthenius IV Dionysius III Clement Methodius III Dionysius IV Gerasimus II Athanasius IV James Callinicus II Neophytus IV Gabriel III Neophytus V Cyprianus Athanasius V Cyril IV Cosmas III Jeremias III (Callinicus III) Paisius II Seraphim I Neophytus VI Cyril V Callinicus IV (III) Seraphim II Joannicius III Samuel Meletius II Theodosius II Sophronius II Gabriel IV Procopius Neophytus VII Gerasimus III Gregory V Callinicus V (IV) Jeremias IV Cyril VI Eugenius II Anthimus III Chrysanthus Agathangelus Constantius I Constantius II Gregory VI Anthimus IV Anthimus V Germanus IV Meletius III Anthimus VI Cyril VII Joachim II Sophronius III Joachim III Joachim IV Dionysius V Neophytus VIII Anthimus VII Constantine V Germanus V Meletius IV
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Turkish period, since 1923 AD)	Gregory VII Constantine VI Basil III Photius II Benjamin Maximus V Athenagoras Demetrius Bartholomew
^† in exile at Nicaea Christianity portal

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