Demetrios I of Constantinople

Demetrios I
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Installed July 16, 1973
Term ended October 2, 1991
Predecessor Athenagoras I
Successor Bartholomew I
Personal details
Birth name Demetrios Papadopoulos
Born (1913-09-08)September 8, 1913
Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey)
Died October 2, 1991(1991-10-02) (aged 77)
Phanar, Istanbul, Turkey
Denomination Eastern Orthodox Church

Demetrios I also Dimitrios I or Demetrius I, born Demetrios Papadopoulos (Greek: Δημήτριος Αʹ, Δημήτριος Παπαδόπουλος; September 8, 1913 – October 2, 1991) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from July 16, 1973, to October 2, 1991. Before his election as Patriarch he served as Metropolitan Bishop of Imvros. He was born and died in Istanbul, Turkey.

Role in ecumenism

On November 30, 1979, Demetrios proclaimed the establishment of the official theological dialogue between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church, at that time led by Pope John Paul II. He also met with two different Archbishops of Canterbury representing the Anglican Communion.

In 1986, Demetrios travelled to the Vatican where he was received by John Paul II. At a solemn ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, the Patriarchs of East and West together recited the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of the Church in Greek as originally defined in AD 381, without the controversial Filioque clause.

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by
Athenagoras I
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
1973–1991
Succeeded by
Bartholomew I
Regnal titles
Preceded by
New office
Co-Head of State of Mount Athos
1975–1991
Succeeded by
Bartholomew I


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.