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'''Cyrillos Lukaris''' or '''Cyril Lucaris''' or '''Cyril Lucar''' ([[1572]] - [[June 27]], [[16371638]]) was a Greek prelate and theologian and a native of [[Crete]]. He later became the Patriarch of Alexandria as '''Cyril III''' and [[Patriarch of Constantinople]] as '''Cyril I'''. He was the first great name in the Orthodox Church since the [[fall of Constantinople]] in [[1453]], and dominated its history in the 17th century.
Patriarch Cyril was born Konstantinos Loukaris in [[Heraklion]], [[Crete]] in [[1572]]. In his youth, he travelled throughout Europe, studying at Venice, Padua and Geneva where he came under the influence of the reformed faith of John Calvin. He was ordained a deacon in [[1583]], a little later priest and, in [[1601]], was elected Patriarch of Alexandria at age 29, succeeding his uncle [[Meletius I of Constantinople|Meletius Pegas]]. In [[1612]], he served as caretaker [[Patriarch of Constantinople]] and, on [[November 4]], [[1620]], was elected to the post.
Cyril was also particularly well disposed towards the Anglican Church, and his correspondence with the Archbishops of Canterbury is extremely interesting. It was in his time that Mitrophanis Kritopoulos — later to become Patriarch of Alexandria (1636-1639) — was sent to England to study. Both Lucaris and Kritopoulos were lovers of books and manuscripts, and acquired manuscripts that today adorn the Patriarchal Library.
Lucaris was five times deposed and banished at the instigation of his Orthodox opponents and of the Jesuits, who were his bitter enemies. However, each time he was restored. Finally, when the Ottoman Sultan Murad III was about to set out for war aginst against the Persians, the patriarch was accused of designing to stir up the Cossacks. To avoid trouble during his absence, the sultan had him killed by the Janissaries on [[June 27]], [[16371638]]. His body was thrown into the sea, recovered and buried at a distance from the capital by his friends, only brought back to [[Constantinople]] after many years.
The orthodoxy of Lucaris himself continued to be a matter of debate in the Eastern Church, even Dositheos, in view of the reputation of the great patriarch, thinking it expedient to gloss over his heterodoxy in the interests of the Church.
[[Category:Ecumenical Patriarchs]]
[[Category:1637 1638 deaths]]
[[Category:1572 births]]
[[Category:Executed people]]
