Cosmas II of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1146 to 1147
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Cosmas II of Constantinople (Atticus Greek: Κοσμᾶς ὁ Ἀττικός; died after 1147) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from April 1146 until 26 February 1147. He was born in Aegina, in Greece, and was a deacon of Hagia Sophia before his ascension, after Michael II of Constantinople abdicated. He was highly respected for his learning and for his holy character.[1] Cosmas II reigned during the rule of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos.[2]
Cosmas II of Constantinople | |
|---|---|
| Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople | |
| Church | Church of Constantinople |
| In office | April 1146 – 26 February 1147 |
| Predecessor | Michael II of Constantinople |
| Successor | Nicholas IV of Constantinople |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Aegina, Greece |
| Died | After 1147 |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodoxy |
Deposition
Cosmas II was condemned and deposed on 26 February 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 Emperor Manuel I intervened directly in forming the Synod that deposed Cosmas II, interviewing personally those who accused him, and testing Cosmas II 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]