Patriarch Demetrios I of Constantinople

Demetrius I (also Dimitrios I, Dimitrios Papadopoulos bourgeois; born September 8, 1914 in Tarabya on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, † October 2, 1991 Istanbul) was dated 16 July 1972 until his death, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel and honorary head of the Orthodox Christendom.

After theological studies at the Academy of Halki ( Halki ) he received the priesthood in 1942 and was from 1945 to 1950 Archimandrite and pastor of the Greek Orthodox community in the Iranian capital Tehran. As pastor of the diaspora in Muslim-majority countries, he enjoyed great popularity among the faithful. Consecrated bishop in 1964, he was in February 1972 Metropolitan of the Islands Imbros and Tenedos and a member of the Holy Synod of Constantinople Opel. After the death of Patriarch Athinagoras the Turkish government put a veto against the election of Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon ( previously of Helioupolis ), who was considered a preferred candidate of the deceased. Then chose the Holy Synod in July 1972 the Metropolitan Dimitrios on the Ecumenical Patriarch and 269th successor to the Apostle Andrew.

In the 19 years of his pontificate Dimitrios I followed the set by his predecessor Athinagoras pan-Orthodox and ecumenical objectives more discreet, but consistently. In 1979, he received Pope John Paul II at the Phanar and agreed with him the establishment of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Church with the common mission to remove all historical, dogmatic and ritualistic barriers to reunification step by step. The cautious approach of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Catholic Church and the Pope was complicated by the problem of united with Rome churches of the Byzantine rite, because the expansion of the papal law primacy can not stand on parts of the Eastern Church in the Orthodox understanding of the principle of equality. 1987, came to the historic visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to Pope John Paul II in 1987 in Rome (Vatican City). However, the Uniate - conflict led in 1990 to suspend the theological discussions with Rome.

In July 1990, the United States Dimitrios paid an official visit. He was received in Congress and the White House with all a head of state reserved for protocol honors and celebrated at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington a peace service. Also, the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, he was welcomed as the head of world Orthodoxy. From there he sent a greeting message to the Islamic world.

Were difficult relations with the Turkish state, which is to recognize the Patriarchate only as a religious institution of the living on Turkish territory Greek minority ready despite its blandness. At a meeting with President Turgut Özal in March 1990 stressed Dimitrios, that the Christian minority see a threat to their existence. Islamist and ultra-nationalist fanatics besieged repeats the Patriarchate at the Phanar palace which was burnt down in 1940 and only in the late 1980s could be rebuilt. They wanted to force Dimitrios to a conviction of Greece for alleged discrimination against Muslims. The tolerated by the Turkish authorities blockade of patriarchy on the Golden Horn in the fall of 1991 continued to Dimitrios well physically. After a serious heart attack, he died at the American Hospital of Istanbul. He was buried alongside his predecessor Athenagoras in the Marian monastery Balikli on the outskirts of Istanbul. His closest colleague, Metropolitan Dimitris Archondonis that at age 51 youngest member of the Holy Synod, was elected as Bartholomew I as his successor.