Philotheos Kokkinos (

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

, c. 1300 –

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, 1379) was the

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...

for two periods from November 1353 to 1354 and 1364 to 1376, and a leader of the Byzantine monastic and religious revival in the 14th century. His numerous theological, liturgical, and canonical works received wide circulation not only in Byzantium but throughout the Slavic Orthodox world."Philotheus Kokkinos." ''Britannica Library'', Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020. He was appointed patriarch in 1353 by the emperor

John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under An ...

, deposed by

John V Palaiologos John V Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, ''Iōánnēs Palaiológos''; 18 June 1332 – 16 February 1391) was Byzantine emperor from 1341 to 1391, with interruptions. Biography John V was the son of E ...

in 1354, then restored to the patriarchal throne in 1364. He opposed Emperor John V in his intent to negotiate the political re-union of the churches with Popes

Urban V Pope Urban V ( la, Urbanus V; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was the head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the on ...

and Gregory XI. Instead, in 1367 he supported the proposed assembly of an authentic, ecumenical union-council, in order to properly resolve the differences with the Western Church. He is commemorated on

October 11 Events Pre-1600 *1138 – A massive earthquake strikes Aleppo; it is one of the most destructive earthquakes ever. *1142 – A peace treaty ends the Jin–Song wars. * 1311 – The peerage and clergy restrict the authority of Engl ...

,Great Synaxaristes:
Ὁ Ἅγιος Φιλόθεος ὁ Κόκκινος, Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινούπολης
'' 11 ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Συναξαριστής.
11 Οκτωβρίου
'' ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ). and is regarded as a "Protector of Orthodoxy", alongside Saints Photios the Great, Mark Evgenikos, and

Gregory Palamas Gregory Palamas ( el, Γρηγόριος Παλαμᾶς; c. 1296 – 1359) was a Byzantine Greek theologian and Eastern Orthodox cleric of the late Byzantine period. A monk of Mount Athos (modern Greece) and later archbishop of Thessaloniki, he ...

.St. Philotheos Kokkinos, Patriarch of Constantinople icon
" ''Paracletos Greek Orthodox Monastery, Abbeville, SC.'' Retrieved: 25 November, 2020.

Early life

Philotheus' early life is not known. He was a native of

Thessalonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

and is believed to have been born about the year 1300. His mother was a Jewish convert to Orthodox Christianity. He was taught by the magistros Thomas (d. 1347), one of the most learned men of the time, and showed great talent for theological as well as secular studies.Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra (Ed.). ''THE SYNAXARION: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church: VOLUME ONE - September, October.'' Transl. from the French by Christopher Hookway. Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra (Mount Athos). Published by INDIKTOS, Athens, Greece. 2013. pp. 364-366.

Early career

Philotheus entered the

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

life early, first becoming a monk at

Mount Sinai Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is ...

, then later at

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

. At Mount Athos, he lived his monastic life first at Vatopaidi Monastery, where he formed a relationship with St. Savvas the Fool-For-Christ (d. 1350), for whom he became a biographer. Later he went on to the Great Lavra Monastery, where he formed a relationship with St.

, for whom he became a biographer as well. He was a supporter of St.

and became a follower and advocate of the form of contemplative prayer called

Hesychasm Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took it ...

, and the Orthodox theology of uncreated Grace. As a writer of note, Philotheus wrote works on the theology of the Uncreated Energies of God and refuted the

scholastic philosophy Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical organic method of philosophical analysis predicated upon the Aristotelian 10 Categories. Christian scholasticism emerged within the monastic schools that translate ...

that was then current in the Western church. His most famous work, written in 1339, was the ''Hagiorite Tome'', the manifesto of the Athonite monks on how the

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

s partake of the Divine and uncreated Light that the Apostles beheld at the

Transfiguration of Jesus In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it (). In these a ...

. In 1340 he was appointed

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

of the Monastery of Philokalou in Thessalonica, but was soon recalled to Mount Athos in 1344 to direct the Great Lavra as the

Hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

. In recognition of his contribution in the

Hesychast controversy The Hesychast controversy was a theological dispute in the Byzantine Empire during the 14th century between supporters and opponents of Gregory Palamas. While not a primary driver of the Byzantine Civil War, it influenced and was influenced by ...

, Patriarch

Isidore Isidore ( ; also spelled Isador, Isadore and Isidor) is an English and French masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek name ''Isídōros'' (Ἰσίδωρος) and can literally be translated to "gift of Isis." The name has survived ...

appointed him Metropolitan of Heraclea in Thrace in 1347. However becoming a protégé of co-Emperor

, Bishop Philotheus spent most of his time in Constantinople. During his absence, the city of Heraclea fell prey to the rivalry of the Genoese and the Venetians. In 1351 the Genoese led by

Paganino Doria Paganino Doria was an Italian admiral from the prominent Genoese Doria family. He was the victorious head of the Genoese naval forces in the conflict between the Republic of Genoa to Venice in the middle of the 14th century. Paganino Doria seize ...

sacked his episcopal see of Heraclea. It was only due to the intervention of Bishop Philotheus that a large number of the inhabitants which were imprisoned by the Genoese, were set free. Thereafter he preserved a firm personal antagonism against the Genoese for the rest of his life. In 1351, he took part in the " Hesychast Council" in Constantinople, and wrote its Acts.

First patriarchate

In 1353, Philotheus, renowned for his learning and his Orthodoxy, was appointed

Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...

. In 1354, after

obtained the abdication of

and forced him into a monastery under the name Joseph Christodoulus, he forced also the deposition of Patriarch Philotheus, who resumed the see of Heraclea.

Second patriarchate

In 1364 Philotheus was recalled to the patriarchal throne in Constantinople on the death of Callistus I.

Relations with Rome

Since 1354 the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

had gained a foothold in Europe at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

, threatening Constantinople from a new side. By 1362

Adrianople Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

fell to the Ottomans and served as the forward base for Ottoman expansion into Europe. Threatened anew,

appealed to the West for help in defending Constantinople against the Turks, proposing, in return, to end the

East–West Schism The East–West Schism (also known as the Great Schism or Schism of 1054) is the ongoing break of communion between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches since 1054. It is estimated that, immediately after the schism occurred, a ...

between Constantinople and Rome. In October 1369 John, having travelled through Naples to Rome, formally converted to Catholicism in St Peter's Basilica and recognized the pope as supreme head of the Church. Opposed to re-union on political terms, Philotheus opposed these efforts by John V to negotiate with Popes

(1362-70) and Gregory XI (1370-78). On the other hand Philotheus' second period as Patriarch was notable for his efforts to open sincere discussions with the

Roman Church Holy Roman Church, Roman Church, Church of Rome or Church in Rome may refer to: * The Diocese of Rome or the Holy See * The Latin Church * Churches of Rome (buildings) In historical contexts ''Roman Church'' may also refer to: * The Catholic Chur ...

to end the Schism — not by diplomatic efforts like those of Emperor John V, who had just abjured Orthodoxy for the Latin faith — but out of a real desire for a true and authentic union. To this end, in 1367 he was in favour of holding an ecumenical union-council to resolve the differences with the Western Church, however the discussions came to nothing as the idea was rejected by Pope Urban VI in 1369. This unfortunate end signalled to Philotheos the suspension of any further efforts to approach the West.

Synod in 1368

The authority of the Acts of the " Hesychast Council" of 1351 were confirmed in the synod of 1368. In addition, Philotheus led the synodal decision to proclaim

a Saint, ordaining the Second Sunday of

Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast, (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning "Great 40 Days," and "Great Fast," respectively) is the most important fasting season of the church year within many denominat ...

to be his feast and composing the Church's services to St Gregory Palamas. A notable example of the campaign to enforce the Orthodoxy of the Palamist doctrine was the condemnation of

Demetrios Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumit ...

and

Prochorus Cydones Prochoros Kydones ( el, Πρόχορος Κυδώνης; c. 1330 – c. 1369), Latinized as Prochorus Cydones or Prochorus Cydonius was an Eastern Orthodox monk, theologian, and linguist. An advocate of Western Aristotelian thought, his translatio ...

at this synod. Applying Aristotelian logic to the Neoplatonic character of Hesychasm, the Kydones brothers had accused Palamas of

Pantheism Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...

Polytheism Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...

. In the end, Prochorus was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

and deposed from the clergy in perpetuity.

Relations with the Slavic Orthodox world

Philotheus also nourished a strong commitment to the unity of the Orthodox world in his second tenure, pursuing an ecclesiastical policy to organize the Orthodox churches of the Serbians, Russians, and Bulgarians, unto which hesychastic theology and spirituality spread. About 1354 Saint

Sergius of Radonezh Sergius of Radonezh (russian: Се́ргий Ра́донежский, ''Sergii Radonezhsky''; 14 May 1314 – 25 September 1392), also known as Sergiy Radonezhsky, Serge of Radonezh and Sergius of Moscow, was a spiritual leader and monastic re ...

, the founder of the Trinity monastery, was visited by envoys from Patriarch Philotheus, urging him to introduce a community rule into his monastery, as the Byzantines placed increased value on

Cenobitic monasticism Cenobitic (or coenobitic) monasticism is a monastic tradition that stresses community life. Often in the West the community belongs to a religious order, and the life of the cenobitic monk is regulated by a religious rule, a collection of prece ...

in this period. After some hesitation, Saint Sergius complied with this request, and the Trinity monastery, by adopting the

Studite The Monastery of Stoudios, more fully Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner "at Stoudios" ( grc-gre, Μονή του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Προδρόμου εν τοις Στουδίου, Monē tou Hagiou Iōannē tou Prodromou en to ...

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

, became the model for all other late medieval Russian '' koinobia.''

Dimitri Obolensky Sir Dimitri Obolensky (19 March/1 April 1918, in St Petersburg – 23 December 2001) was a Russian-British historian who was Professor of Russian and Balkan History at the University of Oxford and the author of various historical works. Biogra ...

. ''The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe, 500-1453.'' New York: Praeger Publishers, 1971. pp. 306-307. Secondly, the monastery's close links with Constantinople facilitated the spread of

to Central and Northern Russia. Since one of the obstacles to a united Orthodox front was the schism — since 1350 — which separated the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the

Serbian Patriarchate of Peć The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...

, Philotheos recognized the latter in 1375 and restored unity. The act of excommunication of was revoked and the Serbian Church was recognized as a Patriarchate, under the condition of returning all eparchies in contested southern regions to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1375 Patriarch Philotheus consecrated

Cyprian Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...

as 'Metropolitan of Kiev, Lithuania, and Russia' in the lifetime of

Alexius Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios ( el, Αλέξιος, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the later Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia ( el, Αλεξία) and its variants such as Alessia ...

, the lawful incumbent of two of these three sees. The Russians felt deeply humiliated by this affront to their popular metropolitan, and the confusion ended only in 1390, when the Muscovites accepted Cyprian as Metropolitan of Russia.

Writer and hymnographer

Philotheus was also engaged in writing a number of works setting forth the theology of the uncreated Energies and successfully taking issue with the humanist theologians who, in the works of Western scholastics, especially

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wi ...

, found a naturalistic philosophy that enabled them to express their love of

classical Antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

to the full. In addition, he also composed admirable lives of Saints. As a

hymn writer A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of ...

, Philotheus is known for composing a service in commemoration of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon, as well composing the services to Saint Gregory Palamas. Along with Callistus I, Philotheus was a Hesychast Patriarch of Constantinople, who used the lives of saints to extol the ideal of ''

hesychia The Greek term ''hesychia'' (, ) is a concept that can be translated as "stillness, rest, quiet, silence". In Christianity In hesychasm, an Eastern Orthodox Christian mystical tradition, it refers to the state of stillness and peace that is obt ...

''.

Exile and death

In 1376, Patriarch Philotheus was deposed by Emperor

Andronikos IV Palaiologos Andronikos IV Palaiologos or Andronicus IV Palaeologus ( gr, Ἀνδρόνικος Παλαιολόγος; 11 April 1348 – 25/28 June 1385) was the eldest son of Emperor John V Palaiologos. Appointed co-emperor since 1352, he had a troubled rel ...

, when the latter ascended to the imperial throne. Philotheus reposed in exile in 1379. His tomb at the Monastery of Akatalyptos Maria Diakonissa (Theotokos Kyriotissa) became a place of many miracles.

Legacy

Robert F. Taft Robert Francis Taft (January 9, 1932 – November 2, 2018) was an American Jesuit priest, first in the Russian Greek Catholic Church and later an archimandrite of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. An expert in Oriental liturgy, he was a pro ...

affirms that the liturgical codification of the Eucharistic service of the

Great Church The term "Great Church" ( la, ecclesia magna) is used in the historiography of early Christianity to mean the period of about 180 to 313, between that of primitive Christianity and that of the legalization of the Christian religion in the Roman ...

reached its full form in the

diataxis In Eastern Orthodoxy, a diataxis (διάταξις, 'order'; plural ''diataxeis'') is a guidebook for the service of the Divine Liturgy. The term is sometimes applied to similar books for Vespers, Orthros or ordinations. It corresponds to the Latin ...

of Philotheus I of Constantinople.D-Vasilescu, Elena Ene. "The 'Gospel of freedom' or a Letter of warning? The use of Paul's Epistle to the Galatians in the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom." ''Akropolis: Journal of Hellenic Studies'', Vol. 3, 2019, p. 109+.

Notes

References

External links

*
Our Holy Father Philotheos Kokkinos, Patriarch of Constantinople
'' Ancient Faith Ministries, Inc. October 11, 2011. (''Audio: 2:09 minutes'') * Mihail Mitrea.
A Late-Byzantine Hagiographer: Philotheos Kokkinos and His Vitae of Contemporary Saints
'' PhD in Classics, The University of Edinburgh. 2017. * Καθηγητού Βασιλείου Δεντάκη (Επιστημονική Επετηρίδα Θεολογικής Σχολής Αθηνών).
Βίος και Ακολουθία του Αγίου Φιλοθέου (Κοκκίνου) Πατριάρχου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως (1353-1354 καὶ 1364-1376) τοῦ Θεολόγου
'' τομ. 17, 1971, σελ. 515-616. (PDF)

Sources

*
Venerable Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople
'' OCA - Lives of the Saints. *
Philotheus Kokkinos, Patriarch of Constantinople
'' Encyclopaedia Britannica. *

'' Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow). * Κουρούσης, Σταύρος Ι. "Φιλόθεοϛ. Ό Κόκκινοϛ. Οἰκουμενικόϛ πατριάρχηϛ (1353-1354, 1364-1376)." ''ΘΗΕ'', τόμ. 11, εκδ. Μαρτίνος Αθ., Αθήνα 1967, στ. 1119-1126. , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Philotheus 01 Of Constantinople, Patriarch 1300 births 1379 deaths 14th-century patriarchs of Constantinople 14th-century Byzantine writers Byzantine saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Byzantine Thessalonians Byzantine abbots Byzantine hymnographers Christian hagiographers Hesychasts Liturgists Scholars in Eastern Orthodoxy Byzantine exiles 14th-century Greek musicians 14th-century Greek writers 14th-century Greek educators People associated with Mount Athos People associated with Vatopedi People associated with Great Lavra