Veccus
or BECCUS, JOANNES (
Βέκκος,
Βέκος, or
Βέκων), an ecclesiastic of some celebrity in the latter part of the thirteenth century of our era.
From the office of
Chartophylax in the great church of Constantinople, he was elevated to the patriarchate of that city, by Michael Palaeologus, in A. D. 1274, on account of his friendly dispositions towards the Latin Church. Veccus had at first been warmly opposed to the Latins, but his feelings towards them were changed by the perusal of the writings of Nicephorus Blemmyda.
He continued patriarch of Constantinople until the death of the emperor Michael, in A. D. 1283, when the ultra-Greek party regained their ascendancy, and Veccus found it necessary to resign his episcopate.
He spent the remainder of his life in suffering persecution from the now dominant party, sometimes in exile and sometimes in prison, where he died in A. D. 1298.
The most virulent of his opponents and persecutors was George of Cyprus. [GEORGIUS, No. 20.]
Works
There are numerous writings by Veccus, chiefly on the points at issue between the Greek and Latin Churches, and in defence of his own conduct in seeking for their reconciliation. Several of these works are published in the
Graecia Orthodoxa of Leo Allatius; others exist only in MS.
Further Information
This brief notice of Veccus is thought to be sufficient for the object of this work; for a full account of his life and writings, the reader is referred to the authorities now quoted: Cave,
Hist. Litt. s. a. 1276, vol. ii. pp. 319, foll.; Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. xi. pp. 344, foil.; Schröckb,
Christliche Kirchengeschichte, vol. xxix. pp. 435, foll., 446, foil., 455, foil.
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P.S]
