December 1757 A.D. Callinicus IV—Constantinople’s 223rd; Few Months in Office; Romanian See; Engages Rebaptism Issue Re: Validity of
Romanist & Armenian Baptisms; Takes
Refuge in French Embassy in Istanbul;
Exiled to St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai; Devoted to Patristics Studies
Callinicus IV of
Constantinople
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encyclopedia
Callinicus IV
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Church
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Appointed
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16 Jan 1757
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Term ended
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22 July 1757
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Predecessor
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Successor
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Personal details
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Birth name
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Constantine Mavrikios
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Born
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Died
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Previous post
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Callinicus IV is sometime
numbered as Callinicus III because his predecessor Callinicus, who was
elected in 1726 but died before being enthroned, is sometimes not counted
amongst the patriarchs.[1]
Life
Constantine Mavrikios
(Callinicus is his religious name) was born in Zagora, Greece in 1713 and in 1728 he moved to Istanbul. In 1740 he was ordained adeacon and on 28 August 1741 he was appointed Great Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate. On 23 September 1743 he was appointed the Metropolitan Bishop of Proilavo (i.e. Brăila, in Romania), a position he
kept till 1748 when he returned to Istanbul.[2]
The supporters of the
invalidity of Catholic and Armenian baptisms, and consequently of the need to
re-baptize, were Patriarch Cyril V supported by some scholars such as Eugenios Voulgaris and Eustratios Argenti, and a large portion of the
populace, instigated by the demagogic monk Auxentios.[3] The opposition to re-baptism was formed by the larger part of the
Metropolitans led by Callinicus. Their position was not due to compliance with
the Latins, but rather that they
considered the re-baptisms an innovation not envisaged by the ancient canons and contrary to the liturgical praxis.
When the Holy Synod voted on 28 April 1755 against the positions of Cyril V, the latter exiled
the members of the Holy Synod who were contrary to his view.[4] Callinicus was persecuted and had to escape. In 1755 Cyril V issued his
formal "Oros (Tome) of
the Holy Great Church of Christ" which required re-baptism for all converts in any case.
In 1756 Callinicus took refuge
in the French embassy in Istanbul, and here he obtained a large amount of money which was given
to the Sultan Osman III. This resulted in Cyril's
deposition on 16 January 1757 and in the appointment of Callinicus to the
Patriarchate.[4] However his appointment was strongly opposed by a mob, and his enthronement
could be celebrated only with the presence of Ottoman soldiers. After the
ceremony, the mod tried unsuccessfully to seize him.[4] This opposition to Callinicus hindered any attempt of him to retire the Oros, and his position was so
difficult that he had to resign 22 July 1757,[5]in favor of Serapheim II who remained neutral on the issue.[3]
After his resignation
Callinicus was exiled to Limnos and later to the Sinai where he stayed in the Saint Catherine's Monastery. In this obligatory residence he worked in the
ancient library of the Monastery. In January 1761 he escaped and returned on
the slay in Istanbul, where he obtained to be forgiven and in October 1763 he
returned to his birth town, Zagora.[2]
The last period of his life
was passed in Zagora, where he founded the local library and devoted himself to patristics studies and to writing.[6] He died in Zagora in 1791.
Notes
1. Jump up^ The ordinal number
"IV" is used by scholars such as Gedeon (1890), Janin (1914),
Runciman (1985), Kiminas (2009)
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c Frazee, Charles (2006). Catholics and sultans :
the church and the Ottoman Empire, 1453-1923. London: Cambridge University
Press. pp. 161–2. ISBN 0-521-02700-4.
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