▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Church ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁( a ▁position ▁which ▁placed ▁him ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁an ▁ecc les iast ical ▁trib unal ▁which ▁had ▁authority ▁over ▁those ▁who , ▁for ▁one ▁reason ▁or ▁another , ▁sought ▁as yl um ▁at ▁H ag ia ▁Soph ia ). ▁In ▁ 1 2 7 7 , ▁along ▁with ▁George ▁Met och ites ▁and ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁of ▁Cy z icus , ▁The odore ▁Sk out ari otes , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁on ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁to ▁Rome , ▁where ▁proofs ▁were ▁being ▁sought ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Church ' s ▁ad her ence ▁to ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁Union ; ▁Bek k os ▁entr usted ▁his ▁own ▁syn od al ▁letter ▁to ▁Pope ▁John ▁XX I ▁to ▁Mel iten i otes , ▁to ▁be ▁delivered ▁by ▁him ▁personally . ▁ ▁When ▁Michael ▁VIII ▁Pal ai olog os ▁died ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 2 8 2 , ▁his ▁son ▁and ▁successor , ▁And ron ik os ▁II ▁Pal ai olog os ▁( r . ▁ 1 2 8 2 – 1 3 2 8 ), ▁ren ounced ▁the ▁ecc les iast ical ▁union ; ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 2 8 3 , ▁at ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁imp rom pt u ▁syn ods ▁pres ided ▁over , ▁first , ▁by ▁mon ks ▁and ▁the ▁un cons cious ▁Joseph ▁I , ▁then ▁later ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁patri arch , ▁Gregory ▁II , ▁union ist ▁cler gy ▁— ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁patri