Photius (; died July 2, 1431) was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. He was of

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

descent.

Early life

Photius was born in the town of

Monemvasia Monemvasia (, or ) is a town and municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located in mainland Greece on a tied island off the east coast of the Peloponnese, surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea. Monemvasia is connected to the rest of the mainland by a ...

(

Despotate of Morea The Despotate of the Morea () or Despotate of Mystras () was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centuries. Its territory varied in size during its existence but eventually grew to include almost a ...

, Byzantine Empire), located on an island near the southeastern tip of the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

peninsula. He became a monk in his youth. From 1397 he served with Metropolitan Akakios of Monemvasia.

Career

On 1 September 1408, Patriarch

Matthew I of Constantinople Matthew I of Constantinople (; died 10 August 1410) was the list of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1397 to 1410, with a brief interruption in 1402–1403. Matthew entered a monastery as a ...

consecrated him in Constantinople as Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus'. He was given the right to rule the whole metropolis excluding the metropolis of Galicia. By that time, only two of the five dioceses remained in Galicia. On 1 September 1409, Photius arrived in Kiev, and by Easter (April 22, 1410) – in Moscow. Northeastern Rus', including the metropolitan region, was devastated by the invasion of Khan Edigu in 1408, resulting in famine and pestilence. Photius found his metropolitan residence ravaged and that the ecclesiastic

treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry; in a business context, corporate treasury. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be ...

was empty. Everything seemed to be in chaos and he didn't know a single word of Russian. Photius made efforts to restore the church economy and the finances of the metropolis, turning to the grand prince of Moscow, Vasily I, for help. The metropolitan was concerned about the state of church discipline and morality. Numerous letters were written to him (mostly dated 1410–1420s). In 1414,

Vytautas Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...

, the grand Duke of Lithuania, attempted to re-establish the metropolis of Lithuania. He arranged for a synod of bishops to elect

Gregory Tsamblak Gregory Tsamblak (; ; ; sr-Cyr, Григорије Цамблак; ; ), member of the Tzamplakon family, was a writer and cleric active in Bulgaria, Moldavia, Serbia, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Principality of Kiev. Biography Early life ...

as the metropolitan of Lithuania. The consecration took place without the consent of Patriarch Euthymius II of Constantinople who deposed and anathematized him and who confirmed the same in letters to Photius, Emperor Manuel II Palaeologos and Grand Prince Vasily I. After Gregory’s death in the winter of 1419–1420, Photius made peace with Vytautas. As a result, the entire metropolis, including Halych, was unified under Photius until his death in 1431.

Veneration

He was canonized in 2009 by including his name in the Synaxis of all saints of Moscow.

Feast Day

* 27 May – commemoration of uncovering and

translation Translation is the communication of the semantics, meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The English la ...

his relics in 1472 by

Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to: * Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC) * Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC) * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor * Philip I of France (1052–1108) * Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) ( ...

, tenable, until the new Dormition Cathedral in Moscow was built in 1479 (He was moved with: Theognostus,

Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 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 Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...

Jonah Jonah the son of Amittai or Jonas ( , ) is a Jewish prophet from Gath-hepher in the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the 8th century BCE according to the Hebrew Bible. He is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, one of the minor proph ...

) * 2 July – commemoration of his death anniversary, the placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos at

Blachernae Blachernae () was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It is the site of a water source and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great Church of St. Mary of ...

* 16 September – commemoration with Saint

, this celebration was included in the Menologium on November 22, 2017 with the

blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will. Etymology and Germani ...

of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

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Feast Day ( Synaxes)

* 25 May – Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia ( ROCOR and

Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...

) * 15 July – Synaxis of All Saints of Kiev ( ROC) * 5 October – Synaxis of the Hierarchs of Moscow ( ROC). He was added with Theognostus,

, Gerontius and Joasaph on March 6, 2017 with the

of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. * 10 October – Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia ( ROC)

Moveable Feast Day ( Synaxes)

* Synaxis of all saints of Moscow – movable holiday on the Sunday before 26 August ( ROC) * Synaxis of All Saints of Galicia – movable holiday on the 3rd Sunday of Pentecost nowiki/>Eparchy of Lvov and Galicia, Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)">Eparchy_of_Lvov_and_Galicia.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Eparchy of Lvov and Galicia">nowiki/>Eparchy of Lvov and Galicia, Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)] * Synaxis of All Saints of Laconia – movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Fast (

)

Liturgical hymns

Troparion St. Photios — Tone 4

Слове́с ева́нгельских послу́шателю/ и Боже́ственных уче́ний рачи́телю,/ прему́дрый наказа́телю,/ всегда́ стра́ху Госпо́дню поуча́яйся,/ в моли́твах к Бо́гу простира́яйся,/ загради́телю у́ст кривоглаго́лющим сло́во пра́выя ве́ры,/ апо́столом соприча́стниче,/ ве́ре Христо́вой утверди́телю,/ проро́чески веща́телю,/ святи́телю Фо́тие,/ моли́ Христа́ Бо́га/ умири́ти ми́р// и спасти́ ду́ши на́ша.

Sloves evangelskikh poslushatelyu/ i Bozhestvennykh ucheny rachitelyu,/ premudry nakazatelyu,/ vsegda strakhu Gospodnyu pouchayaysya,/ v molitvakh k Bogu prostirayaysya,/ zagraditelyu ust krivoglagolyushchim slovo pravyya very,/ apostolom soprichastniche,/ vere Khristovoy utverditelyu,/ prorocheski veshchatelyu,/ svyatitelyu Fotie,/ moli Khrista Boga/ umiriti mir// i spasti dushi nasha.

Kontakion St. Photios — Tone 8

Троице сосуд явися честный/ твоим житием, святителю Фотие,/ всегда зряй Святую Троицу, Ейже предстоиши,// молися всегда непрестанно о всех нас.

Troitse sosud yavisya chestnyy/ tvoim zhitiem, svyatitelyu Fotie,/ vsegda zryay Svyatuyu Troitsu, Yeyzhe predstoishi,// molisya vsegda neprestanno o vsekh nas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Photius, Metropolitan Of Moscow Metropolitans of Kiev and all Rus' (988–1441) 1431 deaths Year of birth unknown Russian people of Greek descent 15th-century Greek people