SAINT PHOTIOS THE GREAT (820-891) [Few cities have so rich and full a history as does Constantinople. Its glorious, and sometimes inglorious, 2500 year history would be impossible to condense in a brief sketch. The great queen of cities began its existence as a small trading town, a colony of one of the many Greek tribes. In 675 B.C., a warrior of the Marara tribe, named Byzas, conquered the peninsula of the sea of Marmara and built a trading post there. He named it for himself, calling it the settlement of Byzans. The area around it came to be known as Byzantium. Byzans grew steadily and became an important centre. In 512 B.C., the region was conquered by the Persians, who ruled it until 478 B.C. In that year, the navy of Athens drove the Persians out and Byzans, now a free town, soon became a wealthy trading city, which grew steadily into a powerful military city state. In the 350s B.C., Byzantium fell to Alexander the Macedonian. With the end of Alexanders reign, the city was free again and gradually fell under the sway of Rome. In 196 B.C., the Roman general Septimus Severus conquered and destroyed the city. He rebuilt it again and it remained very important. On 18 September, 324, Constantine the Great became emperor of the whole Roman Empire. On 11 May, 330, he officially named the city Constantinople and moved the capital of the empire there. Constantine also became an Orthodox Christian and thus began the 1000 year reign (millennium) of the great city as capital of an Orthodox Christian land. We cannot summarize this 1000 year period here, but it is important for all Orthodox people to read the history of this city where so many struggles between good and evil, truth and falsehood, took place. Constantinople, like Jerusalem of the Old Testament, was a microcosm of the spiritual life and struggles of man, especially of the faithful. In its history, we can see the spiritual struggles of our own lives. (See also, the life of Saint Symeon the New Theologian).] Photios is called the great not only because of his defence of Orthodoxy, but because of his love and meekness also. He was the most brilliant man in the empire in his time, a missionary and a true father of the Holy Church. Saint Photios was born in 820, of one of the most important families in Constantinople. His father, Serge, was a very powerful man in the court of the emperor and his wealth was huge. More important, however, Serge and his wife Irene were confessors of the faith. During the time when evil emperors were trying to destroy all ikons, the Orthodox people were killed, or driven out of the cities and persecuted. Saint Photios parents, Serge and Irene, were among the defenders of the holy ikons, and they were driven out of Constantinople and persecuted. Moreover, Saint Photios uncle Tarasios was Patriarch of Constantinople and he too suffered much for Christs Faith. The saint was still a young boy when his family was sent into exile and so he did not get to study in a regular school. Instead, his parents taught him to read and write. After that, Saint Photios educated himself. He read every good and useful book he could find and, since he was very bright, he learned more than most college students while he was still very young. After the persecutions ended, the saint was able to study under a famous teacher in Constantinople. By this time, Photios was already a brilliant, well educated young man, and he became famous not only in Constantinople, but elsewhere. Soon, the Empress Theodora made Photios a professor at the Imperial Academy and many people wanted to become his students. Saint Photios became so famous for his intelligence and learning that even Moslems wrote to him and became his friends. During this time, the old emperor had reposed and his son was too young to rule the empire. Empress Theodora was helping the young emperor, Michael, to govern. However, Emperor Michael had an evil uncle named Bardas. Now, Bardas wanted power for himself and so he worked out a plan so that he could rule the empire. Slowly, by wicked means and treachery, Bardas got power in his own hands. At once, he began causing trouble for everyone, especially for the Church. Bardas began to hate the pious Patriarch Ignatios and he plotted to get rid of him. Finally, Bardas got his chance and Patriarch Ignatios was removed. There was great grief and trouble in the Church then. Bardas could send soldiers against anyone who did not obey him and so, a great danger arose. The bishops and people turned to Saint Photios in this time of trouble. He was said to be the wisest, most brilliant man in the whole empire, and they wanted him to become patriarch and lead them out of the troubles. When Saint Photios was elected as patriarch, he was such a great and beloved man that even Bardas agreed to his election. Saint Photios did not want a high office. He wanted to spend his life peacefully serving God and his fellow man. He tried to resist being consecrated to this high office, but the bishops and the people forced him to accept it. As soon as Saint Photios became patriarch, he began working to bring about peace. The saint was kind, gentle and loving toward everyone. If anyone spoke evil against him, the Godloving patriarch forgave them at once and never became angry; but he always stood firm in the faith and would never let anyone injure the Church. He was always willing to suffer and even die for the faith. The saint worked and prayed with all his strength to solve the problems that were troubling the Church, but then a new problem arose. Nicholas, the Pope of Rome, began to consider himself some sort of a god who had power over the Church in place of Christ. This Pope Nicholas began to demand that everyone in the world obey him. He wanted to be higher than all the other patriarchs and he even wanted worldly power over the emperor. Both Saint Photios and the young emperor, Michael III, tried to correct the Pope. The saint showed great love and humility in this. He understood that the pope was leading his flock into terrible heresy and destruction. In the West, the rulers were only chiefs of tribes who had recently been pagan. These rulers were very superstitious and so were many of the bishops in the West. It was easy for the pope to fool them and make them believe that he had magical powers to send people to hell if they disobeyed him. In the East, everyone was well educated and most people only laughed at the popes claim of special powers. Saint Photios prayed and wept over the fate of the faithful in the West. He understood that the pope was leading all these people away from Christs Church and starting a new, completely false religion. The holy patriarch tried by every possible means to keep this from happening but the pope did not listen; he began to worship himself more and more. During all these trials and heavy work, Saint Photios found time to start new missionary work among the Slavonic people. He blessed Saint Cyril to invent an alphabet for the Slavs and give them a written language. He also sent Saint Cyril and his brother Saint Methody into the Slavonic lands to teach the people about Christ and His Holy Church. Moreover, Saint Photios desired that more people be educated, and he strove to improve schooling in the empire. The new written Slavonic language made education possible in all the Slavic countries and this gave the saint great pleasure. The unfortunate pope, Nicholas the First, managed to enslave all the local churches in the West to Rome, but Saint Photios defended the whole East against him. Finally, Pope Nicholas died, but soon, new troubles arose. The ruler Bardas was dead, but now, Emperor Michael III was murdered and the murderer, Basil, took power. This Basil did not like Saint Photios and so he sided with the Pope of Rome and drove the saint out of his cathedral. The new patriarch was Saint Ignatios, who had been patriarch before. Basil and the pope thought that Saint Ignatios would do whatever they wanted him to, but Ignatios was a strong and holy man, and he continued all the things that Saint Photios had been doing. In fact, the two saints became good friends. Saint Ignatios was an old man and he only lived for seven more years. When he reposed, the people all demanded that Saint Photios be returned to the office. Saint Photios at once set to work trying to bring peace to the whole Church. He strove to convince the new Pope of Rome to accept the Christian teaching about the Church and return to the Orthodox way of life. It was too late. Not only did the new pope also consider himself a ruler in place of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but he wanted the whole world to bow to him. Besides, the pope had now begun to teach all manner of new heresies and, thus, Rome departed more and more from Christs Holy Church and began building a new, false church. Saint Photios struggled with Christ-like patience, love and meekness, but all the evil forces in the empire fought against him. Finally, in 886, the new emperor, Leo, who hated the saint, demanded that he leave the city. Saint Photios knew that if he refused, the emperor would try to force him to leave, and the people would then come to his defence, and there would be much bloodshed. Thus, the saint peacefully resigned his office and left the city. He spent the rest of his days in a monastery, where he reposed in the Lord in 891. Our holy father Photios left us many writings, but above all, he left us his Christ-like example. Saint Photios stood firm and unshakable in defence of Holy Orthodoxy, but he did so with great love, kindness, humility and patience. May our holy and God-bearing father Photios ever guide us and intercede for us that we too may defend the faith with love and patience. ******************************************** Taken from GREAT FATHERS OF THE CHURCH FOR YOUNG READERS Available from synaxispress.ca
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:03:32 +0000
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