John Kaloktenes the New

Saint John Kaloktenes, called the New Merciful, was Metropolitan of Thebes in Greece in the twelfth century, known for his works of charity. He is the patron saint of the city of Thebes and is commemorated on 29 April.

Life

He was born in Constantinople into a wealthy family. His parents, Constantine and Maria, are described in the sources as of noble descent and virtuous soul. The date of his birth is unknown, but since he was Metropolitan of Thebes in 1166 he must have been at least thirty, the age required for such a rank. His childhood is unknown, but he is described as an excellent student with a marked inclination to theology. He first became a monk in a monastery in Constantinople and, for his piety and ability, Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges appointed him to the see of Thebes.

Ministry

He is first attested as metropolitan at the synod of Constantinople in 1166. The task was hard, since the city of Thebes and its see were then in great decline. It had been a flourishing centre of the Byzantine silk industry and the seat of the governor of the theme of Hellas, but it had suffered after the Norman sack of 1147, when the silk weavers were carried off to southern Italy. The five suffragan bishoprics of the metropolis, Kanala, Zaratova, Kaistorion, Trichia and Platana, stood vacant, which weakened the faith of the people. So in 1169 John appointed bishops to them, which displeased Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, since he had neglected to inform the patriarchal synod. The synod first declared the appointments uncanonical, but his firm and passionate defence was rewarded: the synod relented and confirmed them, and he was able to take part in the synod of 1170 at Constantinople that condemned John Eirenikos.

As primate of Thebes he led a simple and austere life, devoted to works of charity for the poor and weak and to strengthening the Church. He built new churches and monasteries in and around the city, among them the church of the Most Glorious Mother of God, on the site where the town hall of Thebes now stands, and founded a hospital, homes for the elderly, the poor and travellers, a residence for maidens and a school for girls. He financed the diversion of the river Ismenos toward the Boeotian plain, which kept twenty water mills working, and built an aqueduct of more than twenty arches, three to six metres high, which survived until the early twentieth century. From him the river took the popular name Agiannis, that is, Saint John.

Veneration

He remained in his post until his death, around 1182 or 1190. For his charity he was called the New Merciful, after Saint John the Merciful, the seventh-⁠century Patriarch of Alexandria, and was numbered among the saints, becoming the patron of Thebes. He is commemorated on 29 April.