Joasaph II of Constantinople

Joasaph II promoted learning among the clergy, reformed the administration of the Church assets, and improved the finances reducing by half the debts of the Patriarchate.

He showed interest in the Protestant Reformation, in particular Lutheranism, and in 1558 he sent to Wittenberg the Serbian deacon Dimitrije Ljubavić to collect information.

In 1559 the Lutheran theologian Philip Melanchthon sent him a letter along with a Greek translation of the Augsburg Confession, but it didn't produce any effect.

[6] Joasaph II's expensive works, his haughty manner towards the clergy and his independent management of the finances created many opponents among the Greek community.

[4] The ultimate cause of his deposition was related to the request, in 1557, by Ivan the Terrible of Russia to have his title of Tsar formally confirmed.