Raphael II of Constantinople
| Raphael II | |
|---|---|
| Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople | |
| Church | Church of Constantinople |
| Installed | March 1603 |
| Term ended | October 1607 |
| Predecessor | Matthew II |
| Successor | Neophytus II |
| Personal details | |
| Previous post | Bishop of Mithymna |
Raphael II (Greek: Ραφαήλ Β΄) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1603 to 1607.[1]
Life
Raphael was Bishop of Mithymna when, in March 1603, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch.[2] During his patriarchate, he addressed the regulation of many ecclesiastical matters and issued a number of standard provisions. The clashes with the previous Patriarch Neophytus II caused many problems in the Church, to the point that Cyril Lucaris, in a letter to the Bishop of Heraclea Dionysius, wrote that "... Raphael ruled the Patriarchate as a tyrant for more than four years ...".
Raphael showed interest in a possible union with the Western Church and he began a secret correspondence with the Pope.[3] He remained Patriarch until October 1607, when he was forcibly deposed by Sultan Ahmed I and suffered a violent death in exile.