March 27, 2013

Patriarchs of Constantinople Killed Under the Turks

The Martyrdom of St. Gregory V

Listed below are the venerable Patriarchs of Constantinople who suffered martyric deaths under the Turks and paved the way towards freedom for the Greek people.

Cyril Loukaris - The Protomartyr of the Patriarchs, on 27 June 1638 he was strangled and his body was flung into the Bosporus.

Cyril II Kontaris - Hanged in 1639

Parthenios I - Poisoned in 1644

Parthenios II - Strangled in 1651

Parthenios III - Hanged in 1657

Gabriel II - Hanged in 1657. He was Patriarch for only 12 days.

Meletios II - After being tortured brutally with a chain and log, he died of his injuries in 1769.

Gregory V - Hanged on Holy Pascha in 1821 at the Patriarchal Gate, which remains closed today since that time. His death was the banner of the Greek Revolution.

Cyril VI - Hanged on 18 April 1821 while in exile in Andrionople.

Evgenios II - Successor to Gregory V, he was surrendered to the mob, and died from injuries on 22 July 1822.

St. Cyril Loukaris

Recovery of the body of St. Cyril VI