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Jeremias II (Tranos) of Constantinople

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Life
==Life==
In the year 1536 Jeremias was born into the influential Greek Tranos family in the town of Anchialos, Pontus, today known as Pomorie, on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. He was the pupil of three scholars of the day: Hierotheos of Monemvasia, Arsenios of Tirnovo and [[Damaskinos the Stoudite]], who themselves had been student students of Theophanes Eleavoulkos. He was also for a while the student of the scholar Matthew the Cretan.
At the time he was first elected to the Patriarchal throne on [[May 5]], 1572, at the age 36, Jeremias had been [[Metropolitan]] of Larisa. When he was installed to that [[see]] of Larisa is unknown. After becoming patriarch, Jeremias set upon reorganizing the [[Church of Constantinople]] and embarked on a policy of reemphasizing the canons and existing ecclesiastical laws. He also strove to improve the financial situation of the Patriarchate. Jeremias maintained contacts with the noted Orthodox personalities of his day. He also was successful in obtaining certain privileges from the Sultan for the Greek minorities within the Ottoman Empire, particularly in establishment of schools. Through his influence seven schools were opened during the sixteenth century. In the following centuries another 40 schools were opened across Greece and Asia Minor.
During his first term as patriarch, Jeremias received a number of letters from the Lutheran theologians of the University of Tubingen that proposed union between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church. This represented the first significant theological exchanges between the Orthodox and Protestants. The correspondence was initiated by a letter, delivered by Stephen Gerlach, the [[chaplain]] at the German Embassy to the Sublime Porte (Sultan’s seat of government), on [[October 15]], 1573. This event began an exchange of theological positions over the next several years. The letters in reply were written for Patr. Jeremias by his notary, Theodosios Zygomalas. At first, Jeremias’ replies were compilations of the Church Fathers and more recent writers. A second letter of [[September 15]], 1574, followed by a third dated [[March 20]], 1575 from Tubingen included a Greek translation of the “Augsburg Confession” and Greek translations of sermons by Jakob Andre, the chancellor of the University of Tubingen that defined the Lutheran creed. Jeremias’ reply of [[May 15]], 1576 summarized those points upon which there was agreement between the Orthodox and Lutheran doctrines and those on which there was no agreement, with explanations on the Orthodox views on each question. In the correspondence during the followings following years until 1581 it became clear that the theological differences were not reconcilable and the correspondence came to an end.
Patr. Jeremias, as other patriarchs of the Ottoman era, was caught in the intrigues and politics that surrounded the Patriarchal office under the Ottomans. He came to the office after his predecessor, Metrophanes III, was removed from office, allegedly for pro-Roman tendencies and the desire of the Sultan to limit the duration of a patriarch’s time in office. Jeremias was replaced for a short period again by Metrophanes III before he was re-elected a secondtime. Jeremias was then deposed a second time from office in 1584 through the intrigues of [[Pachomius II Patestos of Constantinople|Pachomius]], who succeeded him, before returning as patriarch in 1586 after the [[deposition]] of [[Theoleptus II of Constantinople|Theoleptus II]] who had succeeded Pachomius.
With the issuance of a new civil calendar by a papal decree on [[February 24]], 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, bearing his name, its consideration and rejection was the subject of three councils in Constantinople convened by Patr. Jeremias. The councils and principal members were:
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