January 1146-1147 A.D. Cosmas II Atticus—Constantinople’s 111th; Deposed

January 1146-1147 A.D.  Cosmas II Atticus—Constantinople’s 111^th;  Deposed

Cosmas II of Constantinople

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cosmas II Atticus (Greek: Κοσμᾶς Β´ ὁ Ἀττικός) was Patriarch of Constantinople from April 1146, until February 1147. He was born in Aegina, in Greece, and was a deacon of Hagia Sophia before his ascension, after Michael II Kourkouas abdicated. He was highly respected for his learning and for his holy character.^[1] Cosmas reigned during the rule of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus.^[2]

Deposition

Cosmas was condemned and deposed on February 26, 1147 by a synod held at the Palace of Blachernae because of indulgence in relation to the monk Niphon, a condemned Bogomil since 1144, whom he received in his home and at his table.^[3]

The exact reasons for the conviction and deposition of Cosmas II are not clearly established; perhaps he was the victim of political intrigue.^[4] It is clear however that the Emperor Manuel intervened directly in forming the Synod that deposed Cosmas, interviewing personally those who accused him, and testing Cosmas directly on his opinions of the heretical Niphon.^[5] This affair is typical both of the doctrinal controversies common in the reign of Manuel I, and also of the Emperor's readiness to become actively involved in them.^[6]

References

1.      Jump up^ John Kinnamos. (1976). The Deeds of John and Manuel Comnenus, Columbia University Press, p.56

2.      Jump up^ "Κοσμᾶς Β´ ὁ Ἀττικός" (in Greek). Ecumenical Patriarchate. Retrieved 2011-12-24.

3.      Jump up^ Lysimachos Oeconomos La vie religieuse dans l'empire byzantin au temps des Comnènes et des Anges 1918 réédition 1972 p.44-45

4.      Jump up^ Dimtri Obolensky A study in Balkan Neo-Manichaeism « Byzantine Bogomilism » Cambridge University Press 1948 p.221-222

5.      Jump up^ Paul Magdalino. (2002). The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143-1180, Cambridge University Press, p.277

6.      Jump up^ J.M. Hussey. (1986). The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire, Oxford University Press, p. 151

 

Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Michael II Kourkouas	Patriarch of Constantinople 1146–1147	Succeeded by Nicholas IV Muzalon