View source for Metrophanes III of Constantinople

His All-Holiness '''Metrophanes III of Constantinople''' was the Patriarch of Constantinople for two periods, from 1565 to 1572 and then from 1579 to 1580. He was outspoken in expressing tolerance for justice and peace towards members of other faiths by the Orthodox Church.

Little is known of his life. He is believed to have been born in 1520 and reposed in 1580. He had the title of Metropolitan of [[Caesarea]] while he lived in Venice, where he led the Greek Orthodox community.  <ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/3278320/Patriarchs-of-Constantinople] C. D. Cobham, ''The Patriarchs of Constantinople'', Cambridge at the University Press, 1911, Prefactory Note, p16 </ref> <ref>[http://www.ehw.gr/asiaminor/forms/fLemmaBodyExtended.aspx?lemmaID=8551]  Charitopoulos Evangelos , "Diocese of Caesarea (Kaisareia)", 2006, Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor</ref>

In 1568, during his first period as [[patriarch]], Patr. Metrophanes issued a strong condemnation in an encyclical concerning mistreatment of Jews in Crete, stating in the document: "Injustice ... regardless to whomever acted upon or performed against, is still injustice. The unjust person is never relieved of the responsibility of these acts under the pretext that the injustice is done against a heterodox and not to a believer. As our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels said do not oppress or accuse anyone falsely; do not make any distinction or give room to the believers to injure those of another belief." <ref> [http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Religious_pluralism] Religious Pluralism</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Metropolitan of Caesarea|
years=?-1565|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=[[Joasaph II of Constantinople|Joasaph II]]|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]]|
years= 1565-1572 |
after=[[Jeremias II (Tranos) of Constantinople|Jeremias II Tranos]]}}
{{succession|
before=Jeremias II Tranos|
title=Patriarch of Constantinople|
years=1579-1580|
after=Jeremias II Tranos}}
{{end box}} 

==External link==
*[http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8072 GOARCH: Patriarchal Encyclicals on Religious Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence]

[[Category: Bishops]] 
[[Category:16th-century bishops]]
[[Category: Patriarchs of Constantinople]]