Ecumenical Patriarch Photius II (; born Dimitrios Maniatis, Δημήτριος Μανιάτης; 1874 – 29 December 1935) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 7 October 1929 until his death in 29 December 1935, serving as the primus inter pares (first among equals) and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christianity worldwide.
Biography He was born in 1874 and baptised as Dimitrios Maniatis. After finishing elementary education, he attended the Zariphios School in Philippopolis. He studied theology at the University of Athens and philosophy at LMU Munich. He spoke Greek, Turkish, Bulgarian, French and German fluently.
In 1902, he was ordained deacon. He remained in the Metropolis of Philippopolis, where he reached the rank of protosynkellos. Then was named Patriarchal Exarch of Philippopolis for the period 1906–1914. In 1915, he was elected assistant bishop of Eirinoupoli.
On 7 October 1929, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch and enthroned on the same day. While in office, the Turkish authorities attempted to reduce the rank of the patriarch to that of "first clergyman" (Baspapaz) of the Rum Patrikhanesi; Photios II responded by refusing to accept or open any envelopes that did not bear the title "Patriarch" or "Ecumenical Patriarch". After over a year, the Turkish authorities relented.
He was in contact with Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, who moved to Istanbul in 1934 and assisted Photios II with the movement of many Jews from Eastern Europe into Palestine. The patriarch Photios II died on 29 December 1935 and was succeeded by Ecumenical Patriarch Benjamin I.
Notes and references
External links Photios II biography at the Ecumenical Patriarchate web site