Gregory Tsamblak

Gregory Tsamblak , member of the Tzamplakon family, was a Bulgarian writer and cleric active in Bulgaria, Moldavia, Serbia, Lithuania, and the Principality of Kiev.

Biography

Early life He was born into the Tzamplakon family in the Bulgarian capital of Tarnovo around 1364–1365.

Serbia During his sojourn in Serbia he wrote a biography of Stephen Uroš III, a hymn for the church service honoring Stefan of Dečani, and a report on the transfer of the remnants of Saint Paraskeva to Serbia, for which he also rewrote the service.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania In 1414, Grand Duke Vytautas attempted to re-establish the Metropolis of Lithuania. He arranged for a synod of bishops to elect Gregory as the metropolitan of Lithuania. The consecration took place without the consent of Patriarch Euthymius II of Constantinople, who deposed and anathematized him and who confirmed the same in letters to Metropolitan Photius of Kiev, Emperor Manuel II Palaeologos, and Grand Prince Vasily I of Moscow. After Gregory's death in the winter of 1419–1420, Photius made peace with Vytautas. As a result, the entirety of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus', including Galicia, was unified under Photius until his death in 1431.

The rivalry between Vilnius and Moscow effectively ended in 1448, when Moscow began selecting the metropolitans independently without approval from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.