Patriarch
Saint Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople, lived in the 9th century and came from a family of zealous Christians. His father died a martyr's death for the defense of icons. Having received an excellent education, Photios held the position of the first state secretary in the senate. In 857, after the removal of Patriarch Ignatius, he was elected to the patriarchal throne. Soon, unrest in the Church began, fueled by the supporters of Ignatius. At the Council of 861, the deposition of Ignatius and the election of Photios were confirmed. Pope Nicholas I, present at the Council, anathematized Photios, which marked the beginning of a long-standing struggle against papal supremacy.
In 864, the entire Bulgarian country turned to Christianity, and Photios baptized the Bulgarian prince Boris. He sent an archbishop and priests to baptize the Bulgarian people, as well as Saints Cyril and Methodius to preach Christ in the Slavic language. However, after an attack by the Germans, the Bulgarians turned to the Pope for help, and papal legates began to impose Latin customs in Bulgaria. Photios, being a defender of the true faith, informed the Eastern Church of the Pope's actions and convened a Council that condemned papal arbitrariness.
In 867, after the usurpation of the imperial throne by Basil the Macedonian, Photios was removed from the patriarchal throne and imprisoned in a monastery. Ignatius was reinstated in his place. A Council convened to investigate condemned Photios and sent him into exile for 7 years. In 879, after the death of Ignatius, a Council was convened that again recognized Photios as the legitimate shepherd of the Church. Pope John annulled the previous decisions regarding Photios, and the Council confirmed the inviolability of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, rejecting the Latin distortion.
Under the successor of Emperor Basil, Leo, Photios again suffered due to a false accusation and was deposed from the see in 886. He ended his days in the Harmonius Monastery in 891. The Orthodox Church venerates Saint Photios as a zealous defender of Orthodox East and a learned theologian, having left numerous works dedicated to refuting the errors of the Latins and explaining the Holy Scriptures.
