DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Memorial service for last emperor, Constantine Paleologos XI

**vipBrooriErok** · 02-06-2009, 07:56 AM

This is the point that interests me (leaving aside the political subplot of the thread, which I don't want to get involved in at present). I believe that the Emperor subscribed to the Union of Florence, and was therefore presumably technically a Roman Catholic (Uniate, if that term isn't anachronistic here). At the same time, I have read that despite the opposition to the Union, the last service before the City fell was a combined service including both parties (a fact, if it is a fact, that raises all sorts of other questions). And then there is the memorial service for him described in Alice's post, which is normally only done for the Orthodox departed.

So now I'm confused. Apart from being a courageous patriot, is the Emperor Constantine XI regarded as Orthodox, or Uniate, or somehow both?? Maybe somebody can help.

As a footnote, I would like to know more about St Raphael of Lesbos. Is this the same as the St Raphael of Lesbos who was martyred, with two companions, under the Turks? I had thought they were a bit later.

I believe it is the same St. Raphael of Lesbos (with Sts. Nicholas and Irene). As for Emperor Constantine XI's being a Uniate, I think this is looking at it from our own time period, where things have solidified. The information we have on what was going on then is sketchy. It is generally thought, as I understand it, that the emperor was not a pusher of Uniatism, unlike his ancestor Michael VIII. There are icons of him, there are memorial services for him since that time it appears, and he has a veneration as an Orthodox saint and martyr. His death, along with the fall of Constantinople, is commemorated on the calendar. As I understand it, it is something that has been handed down and accepted.

He would not have been able to be glorified under the Turks, and after Greek independence, a formal service may have seemed superfluous given his veneration. There is a statue erected to the saint and martyr Constantine XI in Athens.

02-06-2009, 07:56 AM	#11
vipBrooriErok Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 381 Senior Member	This is the point that interests me (leaving aside the political subplot of the thread, which I don't want to get involved in at present). I believe that the Emperor subscribed to the Union of Florence, and was therefore presumably technically a Roman Catholic (Uniate, if that term isn't anachronistic here). At the same time, I have read that despite the opposition to the Union, the last service before the City fell was a combined service including both parties (a fact, if it is a fact, that raises all sorts of other questions). And then there is the memorial service for him described in Alice's post, which is normally only done for the Orthodox departed. So now I'm confused. Apart from being a courageous patriot, is the Emperor Constantine XI regarded as Orthodox, or Uniate, or somehow both?? Maybe somebody can help. As a footnote, I would like to know more about St Raphael of Lesbos. Is this the same as the St Raphael of Lesbos who was martyred, with two companions, under the Turks? I had thought they were a bit later. I believe it is the same St. Raphael of Lesbos (with Sts. Nicholas and Irene). As for Emperor Constantine XI's being a Uniate, I think this is looking at it from our own time period, where things have solidified. The information we have on what was going on then is sketchy. It is generally thought, as I understand it, that the emperor was not a pusher of Uniatism, unlike his ancestor Michael VIII. There are icons of him, there are memorial services for him since that time it appears, and he has a veneration as an Orthodox saint and martyr. His death, along with the fall of Constantinople, is commemorated on the calendar. As I understand it, it is something that has been handed down and accepted. He would not have been able to be glorified under the Turks, and after Greek independence, a formal service may have seemed superfluous given his veneration. There is a statue erected to the saint and martyr Constantine XI in Athens.
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