Saint Patriarch Grigorios V of Constantinople

Gregory V of Constantinople (Greek: Γρηγόριος; 1746 – 10 April 1821), born Georgios Angelopoulos (Γεώργιος Αγγελόπουλος), was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1797 to 1798, from 1806 to 1808, and from 1818 to 1821. He was responsible for much restoration work to the Patriarchal Cathedral of St George, which had been badly damaged by fire in 1738. Born in Dimitsana, he studied in Athens for two years beginning in 1756, then moved to Smyrna for five more years of study. Tonsured as a monk with the name "Gregory" at the monastery in Strofades, he then studied at Patmiada School. Returning to Smyrna, he was ordained to the diaconate by Metropolitan Procopius of Constantinople. In 1785, when Procopius was elected Patriarch of Constantinople, Gregory was consecrated as Metropolitan of Smyrna. In 1797, the Holy Synod elected Gregory V as Patriarch of Constantinople upon the resignation of Gerasimus III of Constantinople. The following year Gregory V was deposed as patriarch. He was sent to the Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos. On 23 September 1806, the Holy Synod elected him as patriarch for a second time. He was deposed again in 1810. This time he was sent first to the Princes' Islands, and then later to Mount Athos. On 14 December 1818, the Holy Synod elected Gregory V patriarch for a third time. At the onset of the Greek War of Independence, as Ethnarch of the Orthodox millet, Gregory V was blamed by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II for his inability to suppress the Greek uprising. This was in spite of the fact that Gregory V had condemned the Greek revolutionary activities in order to protect the Greeks of Constantinople from such reprisals by the Ottoman Turks. After the Greek rebels scored several successes against the Ottoman forces in the Peloponnese, these reprisals came.