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Demetrios I of Constantinople

1914 – 1991

Patriarch of Constantinople

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About Demetrios I of Constantinople

Lived 1914 – 1991 (aged 77). Demetrios I of Constantinople was a Turkish eastern Orthodox priest and theologian.

Patriarch Demetrios I of Constantinople, also Dimitrios I or Demetrius I, born Demetrios Papadopoulos (; 8 September 1914 – 2 October 1991), was the 269th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 16 July 1972, until his death in October 1991, serving as the primus inter pares (first among equals) and spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Before his election as patriarch, he served as the metropolitan bishop of Imvros.

He was born in Constantinople, where he also died. At a solemn ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, the patriarchs of East and West together recited the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of the Church in Greek as originally defined in 381 AD, without the controversial Filioque clause. The Pope later recalled the event in his ecumenical encyclical letter Ut Unum Sint.

In an 8-city tour of the United States in 1990, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I met with President George H. W. Bush, with Christian and Jewish leaders, and with public officials, and spread the message that: "Today, Orthodoxy is not a strange or alien factor in America. It is flesh of its flesh and bone of its bone".

Notes and references

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Halki seminary
Positions held
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop
Awards
Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb
Also known as
Demetrios I

People in Demetrios I of Constantinople's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Demetrios I of Constantinople's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Demetrios I of Constantinople?

Patriarch of Constantinople (1914-1991)

When was Demetrios I of Constantinople born?

Demetrios I of Constantinople was born on 8 September 1914 in Constantinople.

When did Demetrios I of Constantinople die?

Demetrios I of Constantinople died on 2 October 1991 in Istanbul.

What was Demetrios I of Constantinople's occupation?

Demetrios I of Constantinople was an eastern Orthodox priest and theologian.

What nationality was Demetrios I of Constantinople?

Demetrios I of Constantinople was Turkish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Demetrios I of Constantinople

· Wikidata: Q342360

· DBpedia: Demetrios I of Constantinople

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Demetrios I of Constantinople. https://biography.guide/demetrios-i-of-constantinople/

MLA: "Demetrios I of Constantinople." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/demetrios-i-of-constantinople/.

Chicago: "Demetrios I of Constantinople." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/demetrios-i-of-constantinople/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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