The Orthodox Church commemorates today, on 10 April, Holy Martyrs Terence, Africanus, Maximus, Pompeius and others, as well as New Martyr Demos (Demetrios).
In addition, the Chruch commemorates Martyr Gregory V, Patriarch of Constantinople, who was born in Dimitsana, Arcadia. He went to Smyrna to find his uncle, Meletios, who was a priest in charge.
In Smyrna, he attended classes at the Evangelical school. Then, he attended philosophy classes in Patmos. However, Gregory V wanted to follow a monastic way of life, and, therefore, he headed to the Monastery of Strofades, where he became a monk and was initiated into an ascetic way of life.
Then, the Metropolitan of Smyrna, Prokopios, called him and ordained him an archdeacon. As soon as he returned to Dimitsana, he was already a presbyter. On August 19 1785, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch.
Gregory remained Patriarch until December 1798, when he was removed from his position at the Sublime Porte because he was considered incapable of subordinating Christian peoples under the Turkish rule and, as a result, was exiled to Mount Athos.
The time he stayed at the Orchard of the Virgin Mary, Gregory V was given the opportunity to delve deeper so as to become self-aware and. He also had time to study fervently theology. He was later on summoned to the Ecumenical Throne but again exiled from the Sublime Porte.
In 1818, he was summoned for the third time to the Ecumenical Throne, where he assumed his responsibilities until April 10, 1821. People who were loyal to the Patriarch proposed him to help him flee to Odessa.
However, Gregory V refused to leave, saying that if he had been interested in saving himself, he would have done so himself before. He was primarily interested in the salvation of his homeland but, in order for him to achieve this, he had to sacrifice himself.
So, he decided to stay, as he was eagerly waiting to ascend Golgotha. It was a decision that he had made on his own because he considered his self-sacrifice to be his duty.
On April 10, 1821, on Easter Sunday, he was hanged by the Ottomans at the Gate of the Patriarchate. This Gate remains closed to this day in memory of the hanged Ecumenical Patriarch. On April 10, 1921, the Church added him to the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.
His holy relic is located at the Metropolitan Church of Athens, where the pilgrims pay their respects and pray for all the martyrs of Constantinople.
Source: Church of Cyprus
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