Georgios 1 was a priest (of Hagia Sophia), synkellos and skeuophylax: Nic., Chron. 67. He became patriarch of Constantinople (Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπος Γεώργιος: Theoph. AM 6170, 6173, 6175) in succession to Theodoros 4 in 679 and remained in office for six years: Theoph. AM 6170, 6173, 6175, cf. Nic., Chron. 67 (two years three months). Successor of Theodoros 4 as patriarch of Constantinople: Zon. XIV 21. 3-4 (καὶ ἀνάγεται εἰς τὸν ἀρχιερατικὸν τοῦτον θρόνον Θεόδωρος. ὃς μετὰ δύο ἐνιαυτοὺς ἐκβληθεὶς διάδοχον ἔσχε Γεώργιον). His dates were 679 to 686.

He was patriarch during the Sixth Ecumenical Council (680-681), which began in his third year in office; after it ended he was patriarch for three more years (πατριαρχοῦντος ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ οἰκουμενικῇ συνόδῳ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Γεωργίου, ἔτος ἄγοντος τῆς πατριαρχίας γ', καὶ μετὰ τὴν σύνοδον πατριαρχήσαντος ἄλλα ἔτη γ'): Theoph. AM 6177. With the representatives of the bishop of Rome and Theophanes 5 of Antioch, he was one of the leaders of the Council: Zon. XIV 21. 6. Patriarch of Constantinople, he attended the Sixth Ecumenical Council: Photius, Ep. 1, lines 321-322. He attended all eighteen sessions of the Council: Riedinger, pp. 14-822 (= Mansi XI 209-668), cf. Lib. Pont. 81. 6 (present at the Council; the dates given in this source, the Life of pope Agatho, for the sessions of the Council are confused and do not correspond with those recorded in the Acts of the Council itself). In the lists of those attending each session he is styled Γεωργίου τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου καὶ ἁγιωτάτου ἀρχιεπισκόπου ταύτης τῆς μεγαλωνύμου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως νέας Ῥώμης or similar; Riedinger, p. 706 (= Mansi XI 622) (exists in Latin only), Riedinger, p.16 line 6, p.28 line 10, p.36 line 23, p.48 line 9, p.162 line 12, p.172, line 6, p. 182, line 6, p. 192, line 4, p. 264, line 4, p. 278, line 38, p. 402, line 6, p. 514, line 28, p. 570, line 13, p. 628, line 29, p. 666, line 6, p. 684, line 6, p. 706, line 14, p. 754, line 11 (= Mansi XI 209, 217, 224, 229, 317, 321, 328, 333, 380, 388, 457, 520, 549, 584, 604, 612, 622, 625). In the subscriptions to the statement of the faith, which condemned monotheletism, and to the Council, he is styled Γεώργιος ἐλέει Θεοῦ ἐπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως νέας Ῥώμης: Riedinger, p. 778, line 11, p. 822, line 13 (= Mansi XI 640, 668). At the seventh session (13 February 681) he asked for time to consider the documents brought from Rome and the collection of anti-monothelete statements culled from the Fathers by the papal delegates (see Theodoros 22): Riedinger, p. 188, lines 12-17 (= Mansi XI 332), Lib. Pont. 81. 10. At the eighth session (March 7) he declared his total agreement with the statements of the pope and the Roman Council: Riedinger, p. 196, lines 17-24 (= Mansi XI 336), Lib. Pont. 81. 11-12. Later in the session he proposed that the name of pope Vitalianus (Bitalianos 3) be restored to the diptychs of the churches; shortly afterwards his name was included among the acclamations of the Council: Riedinger, p. 210, line 20 (= Mansi XI 346). In the sixteenth session (9 August 681) he asked for the names of his predecessors Sergios (not in PBE), Pyrrhos 1, Paulos 2 and Petros 2 to be omitted from anathematisation in the acclamations of the Council, but was overruled; his own name appears among the acclamations at the end of this session: Riedinger, p. 700, lines 22-26, p. 702, lines 5-7, 15 (= Mansi XI 620).

After the Council ended he was one of the five patriarchs to whom a copy of the definition of the faith agreed by the Council was sent: Riedinger, p. 830, line 6 (= Mansi XI 681). He subscribed the copy sent to the bishop of Rome, Agatho 1: Riedinger, p. 890, line 30 (= Mansi XI 688).

According to the Liber Pontificalis, after the condemnation of Macarius (Makarios 1), Georgios was forbidden by the emperor to receive Macarius and his followers into his church: Lib. Pont. 81. 8 (this is not mentioned in the Acts of the Council itself). After the Council Georgios attended the Latin mass celebrated in Hagia Sophia by the bishop of Portus, Ioannes 21: Lib. Pont. 81. 15.

According to Paul the Deacon, the patriarch of Constantinople, Georgios 1 was one of the initiators of the monothelete heresy; he was accused at the Council and those who tried to defend him were anathematised: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 4 (allegedly taken from Bede).

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