Editing Photios I of Constantinople (section)

{{Short description|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 858 to 867 and from 877 to 886}}
{{Redirect|Photios|other people with the name|Photios (name)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
| name             = Photius I of Constantinople
| titles           = [[List of people known as the Great|The Great]], [[Confessor of the Faith]], [[Equal to the Apostles]], Pillar of Orthodoxy<ref name="titles">{{Cite web |url=https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=527 |title=Photius the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople |work=Online Chapel |publisher=The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America |access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref>
| image            = Facial Chronicle - b.13, p.414 - Photios baptising king of Bulgars.gif
| image_size       = 240px
| caption          = Photius I baptising the Bulgarians, miniature from the [[Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible]]
| birth_date       = {{circa}} 815
| birth_place      = [[Constantinople]]
| death_date       = 6 February 893 (aged c. 78)
| death_place      = Bordi, [[Armenia]]
| attributes       = 
| patronage        = 
| venerated_in     = [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]
| feast_day        = 6 February
}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| name             = Photius I of Constantinople
| patriarch_of     = [[List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]]
| ordination       = 
| consecration     = 
| enthroned        = 25 December 858<br />26 October 877
| ended            = 23 September 867<br />30 September 886
| province         = 
| diocese          = 
| see              = 
| church           = 
| predecessor      = [[Ignatius of Constantinople]]<br />[[Ignatius of Constantinople]]
| successor        = [[Ignatius of Constantinople]]<br />[[Stephen I of Constantinople]]
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = {{circa}} 815
| birth_place      = [[Constantinople]]
| death_date       = 6 February 893
| death_place      = Bordi, [[Armenia]]
| buried           = 
| nationality      = 
| religion         = [[Chalcedonian Christianity]]
}}

'''Photius I of Constantinople''' ({{langx|el|Φώτιος}}, ''Phōtios''; {{Circa}} 815 – 6 February 893),{{cref|a}} also spelled ''Photius''<ref name=Taylor>Fr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., and Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materials in Canon Law - A Textbook for Ministerial Students, Revised Edition" [Collegeville, Minn., The Liturgical Press, 1990]), p. 61</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|oʊ|ʃ|ə|s}}), was the [[list of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]] from 858 to 867 and from 877 to 886.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://photius.com/photios/photios15.html |title=The Life of Patriarch Photios |first=Despina Stratoudaki |last=White |date=1981 |publisher=[[Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology|Holy Cross Orthodox Press]] |isbn=978-0-91658626-3 |access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref> He is recognized in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] as '''Saint Photius the Great'''.

Photius I is widely regarded as the most powerful and influential church leader of Constantinople subsequent to [[John Chrysostom]]'s archbishopric around the turn of the fifth century. He is also viewed as the most important intellectual of his time – "the leading light of the ninth-century renaissance".<ref>{{harvnb|Louth|2007|loc=Chapter Seven - "Renaissance of Learning - East and West", p. 159}}; {{harvnb|Mango|1980|p=168}}.</ref> He was a central figure in both the [[Christianisation of Bulgaria|conversion of the Slavs to Christianity]] and the [[Photian schism]],<ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|1983|p=1100}}</ref> and is considered "[t]he great systematic compiler of the Eastern Church, who occupies a similar position to that of [[Gratian (jurist)|Gratian]] in the [[canon law (Catholic Church)|West]]," and whose "[[nomocanon|collection]] in two parts... formed and still forms the classic source of ancient [[canon law|Church Law]] for the Greek Church".<ref name=Taylor/>

Photius was a well-educated man from a noble Constantinopolitan family. Photius's great uncle was a previous patriarch of Constantinople, [[Tarasios of Constantinople|Saint Tarasius]].<ref>{{harvnb|Jenkins|1987|loc=Chapter Thirteen: "Ignatius, Photius, and Pope Nicholas I", p. 168}}.</ref> He intended to be a monk but chose to be a scholar and statesman instead. In 858, Emperor [[Michael III]] (r. 842–867) decided to confine Patriarch [[Ignatius of Constantinople|Ignatius]] in order to force him into resignation, and Photius, still a layman, was appointed to replace him.<ref name="ODCC self">{{harvnb|Cross|Livingstone|2005|loc="Photius"}}.</ref> Amid power struggles between the pope and the Byzantine emperor, Ignatius was reinstated. Photius I resumed the position when Ignatius died (877), by order of the Byzantine emperor.<ref name="ODCC self"/> The new [[Pope John VIII]], approved Photius's reinstatement.<ref>{{harvnb|Durant|1972|p=529}}.</ref> Catholics regard as legitimate a [[Fourth Council of Constantinople (Catholic Church)]] anathematising Photius I,<ref name="ODCC self"/> while Eastern Orthodox regard as legitimate a subsequent [[Fourth Council of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)]], reversing the former.<ref name="ODCC self"/> The contested councils mark the end of unity represented by the [[first seven Ecumenical Councils]].