Patriarch Maximus V of Constantinople

Maximus V (1897 - 1 January 1972) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1946 till 1948.

He was born in Sinope. He was first educated, under Metropolitan Amaseia Germanos Karavaggelis's protection, at the Theological School of Halki. In 1918 he was ordained a Deacon. With this appointment he also became teacher at the city school of Theira.He served as Archdeacon under Metropolitans Gregorios of Chalcedon and Joachim of Ephesus. In 1920 he became the Archdeacon of to the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself. Patriarch Maximus was known for his leftist opinions and his close ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.Officially he resigned in 1948 due to poor health; unofficially he was forced to resign by western powers who didn't approve his ties with the Soviet-controlled Patriarch of Moscow. He was succeeded by the Archbishop of America Athenagoras. He died in Switzerland on January 1 1972.