Editing Constantine XI Palaiologos (section)

=== Religious disunity in Constantinople ===
[[File:Isidore of Kiev.jpg|thumb|Cardinal [[Isidore of Kiev]], sent as a [[papal legate]] to [[Constantinople]] in October 1452]]
Above all, Constantine sent many appeals for aid to [[Pope Nicholas V]]. Although sympathetic, Nicholas V believed that the papacy could not go to the rescue of the Byzantines unless they fully accepted the Union of the Churches and his spiritual authority. Furthermore, he knew that the papacy alone could not do much against the formidable Ottoman Turks, a similar response to one given by Venice, which promised military assistance only if others in Western Europe also came to Constantinople's defense. On 26 October 1452, Nicholas V's legate, [[Isidore of Kiev]], arrived at Constantinople together with the [[Latin Archbishop of Mytilene]], [[Leonard of Chios]]. With them, they brought a small force of 200 Neapolitan archers. Though they made little difference in coming battle, the reinforcements were probably more appreciated by Constantinople's citizens than the actual purpose of Isidore's and Leonard's visit: cementing the Union of the Churches. Their arrival in the city spurred the anti-unionists into a frenzy. On 13 September 1452, a month before Isidore and Leonard arrived, the lawyer and anti-unionist [[Theodore Agallianos]] had written a short chronicle of contemporary events,{{Sfn|Nicol|1992|p=|pp=56–58}} concluding with the following words:
{{blockquote|quote=This was written in the third year of the reign of Constantine Palaiologos, who remains uncrowned because the church has no leader and is indeed in disarray as the result of the turmoil and confusion brought upon it by the falsely named union which his brother and predecessor John Palaiologos engineered... This union was evil and displeasing to God and has instead split the church and scattered its children and destroyed us utterly. Truth to tell, this is the source of all our other misfortunes.{{Sfn|Nicol|1992|p=58}}|title=|source=}}
Constantine and his brother [[John VIII Palaiologos|John VIII]] before him had badly misjudged the level of opposition against the church union.{{Sfn|Nicolle|Haldon|p=191|Turnbull|2007}} [[Loukas Notaras]] was successful in calming down the situation in Constantinople somewhat, explaining to an assembly of nobles that the Catholic visit was made with good intentions and that the soldiers who had accompanied Isidore and Leonard might just be an advance guard; more military aid might have been on its way. Many nobles were convinced that a spiritual price could be paid for material rewards and that if they were rescued from the immediate danger, there would be time later to think more clearly in a calmer atmosphere. [[George Sphrantzes]] suggested to Constantine that he name Isidore as the new [[Patriarch of Constantinople]] as [[Gregory III of Constantinople|Gregory III]] had not been seen for some time and was unlikely to return. Although such an appointment might have gratified the pope and led to further aid being sent, Constantine realized that it would only stir up the anti-unionists more. Once the people of Constantinople realized that no further immediate aid in addition to the 200 soldiers was coming from the papacy, they rioted in the streets.{{Sfn|Nicol|1992|p=|pp=58–59}}

Leonard of Chios confided in the emperor that he believed him to be far too lenient with the anti-unionists, urging him to arrest their leaders and try harder to push back the opposition to the Union of the Churches. Constantine opposed the idea, perhaps under the assumption that arresting the leaders would turn them into martyrs for their cause. Instead, Constantine summoned the leaders of the ''synaxis'' to the imperial palace on 15 November 1452, and once again asked them to write a document with their objections to the union achieved at Florence, which they were eager to do. On 25 November, the Ottomans sank another Venetian trading ship with cannon fire from the new Rumelihisarı castle, an event which captured the minds of the Byzantines and united them in fear and panic. As a result, the anti-unionist cause gradually died down. On 12 December, a Catholic [[liturgy]] commemorating the names of the Pope and Patriarch Gregory III was held in the [[Hagia Sophia]] by Isidore. Constantine and his court were present, as was a large number of the city's citizens (Isidore stated that all of its inhabitants attended the ceremony).{{Sfn|Nicol|1992|p=|pp=59–61}}