Life path of patriarch Photius. Bulgarian problem. Patriarch Photius and Pope Nicholas

Christian era 30 The formation of the first Christian ecclesia in Jerusalem, which was sometimes called Nazarene (Acts 24: 5), sometimes - Ebionite (James 2: 5; Gal 2:10). 35 Execution of Stephen (Acts 6: 8–7: 60). 35 - 39 Lucius Vitellius, father of the future emperor Vitellius, is a legate in Syria and

From the book Introduction to Patristic Theology the author Meyendorf Ioann Feofilovich

The main works of Photius 1. "Library"? a large work of considerable scientific interest was written even before Photius became patriarch. The name "Library" was given by the publishers of this work. It consists of reviews of books read by Photius and his

From the book Volume 7. Letters the author Brianchaninov Saint Ignatius

Letter from Archimandrite Photius to Saint Ignatius Rejoice, Father Reverend, Most Blessed Ignatius! I rejoice over you and Christ God, thank you that you care about your flock, you love not only your children, but you also have mercy on the sick. Your love begs me to accept

From the book of the Lives of the Saints - the month of May the author Rostov Demetrius

No. 3 Monk of Archimandrite Photius, Hieromonk Anikita (Shikhmatov) On May 16, 1837, Saint Ignatius unexpectedly received a letter from Athens - from Hieromonk Anikita.

From the book How to Read the Bible the author Men 'Alexander

XIII Letters from the censor, Archimandrite Photius, to Saint Ignatius No. 1 I consider myself happy that I received the gracious handwriting of Your Grace, especially happy that it fell to me - and, surely, fell from the hand of God - a good lot - to read your works. This

From the book The Complete History of the Christian Church the author Bakhmeteva Alexandra Nikolaevna

From the book The Complete History of the Christian Church the author Bakhmetieva Alexandra Nikolaevna

From the book Isagogika. Old Testament the author Men 'Alexander

From Wars for Jesus [How the Church Decided What to Believe] the author Jenkins Philip

Chapter XIX Struggle of Patriarch Photius with Pope Nicholas and his successors. 842–886 No matter how the importance of the popes has risen now, the East did not recognize their supremacy. The Eastern Church, strong in ancient tradition, constantly rejected the claims of the Roman high priests, for

From the book of the Lives of the Saints (all months) the author Rostov Demetrius

Volume 2. The era of the prophets. Sacred writing of the times of the Second Temple Section I Age

From the book Voices from Russia. Essays on the history of collection and transmission abroad of information about the situation of the Church in the USSR. 1920s - early 1930s the author Olga Kosik

The era of intolerance Pulcheria, to a greater extent than her contemporaries, dreamed of creating not just a Christian empire, but an empire that fights for the truth and strives for the uniformity of faith, that is, for a regime that uses all its power to establish ubiquitous

From the book Ascetic Creations the author of the Ascetic Mark

The transfer of the venerable relics of Saints Cyprian, Photius and Jonah, the wonderworkers of Kiev and All Russia In April 1472, during the reign of the Christ-loving Grand Duke of All Russia John Vasilyevich under His Grace Metropolitan Philip in the glorious city of Moscow

From the book General History of the World's Religions the author Karamazov Voldemar Danilovich

Collecting information about persecution in the commission of the Holy Council and in the office of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. Dissemination of the Patriarch's Messages

From the author's book

Saint Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, testimony about the book of the Monk our Father Mark We have read the book of Mark the Monk, [consisting] of eight words, of which [the first] has the title "On the Spiritual Law"

Struggle between Patriarch Photius and Pope Nicholas and his successors. 842-886 biennium

No matter how the importance of the popes has risen now, the East did not recognize their supremacy. The Eastern Church, strong in ancient tradition, constantly rejected the claims of the Roman high priests, for whom the main goal of their aspirations was the task of subjugating her. In the second half of the 9th century, circumstances appeared, apparently, convenient for this. In the Church of Constantinople, barely breathing a breath from the iconoclastic storm, new unrest arose, and the warring parties themselves provided the Pope with the opportunity to intervene in their affairs. Of course, Pope Nicholas gladly took advantage of this opportunity to strengthen his claim to world dominion.

Saint Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople

In 842, the young emperor Michael III was enthroned in Constantinople, with his mother, Theodora, and her brother, Caesar Barda, a smart and capable man, but power-hungry and immoral, who gained a strong influence on the young emperor, pleasing him as regents. and indulging his vices. Michael, thinking only of vain pleasures, willingly left Varda with the burden of state concerns, even when he left his care. Both were weighed down by Theodora's presence: Varda because he wanted to rule alone, Michael because the strict Theodora interfered with the noisy and outrageous amusements of the court. Thus, two parties arose at court. Theodora was supported by a large part of the clergy, especially the holy patriarch Ignatius (846–857), the son of the former emperor Mikhail Kuropolat, deeply respected for his holy life. Barda demanded from the patriarch that he tonsured Theodora and her daughters into monasticism. The patriarch did not agree, he often reproached Barda for his depraved life and finally, on the great holiday, in the presence of all the people, did not allow him to receive communion of the Holy Mysteries. In anger, Warda deposed Ignatius and sent him into exile.

A new patriarch had to be elected. Canonical rules prohibited the interference of civil authorities in appointments to church offices, and more recently by the 7th Ecumenical Council, this prohibition was repeated, but the rulers of Byzantium, who had power in their hands, were little embarrassed by church rules and arbitrarily overthrew and appointed patriarchs, which, however, always led to unrest among the people. And now the unlawful deposition of the respected Ignatius by all produced a lot of murmur and indignation. Ignatius, although he agreed to renounce, but many considered this consent forced. Varda saw the need to elect a man quite worthy of the high dignity of the patriarch. Only this could somehow atone for his unlawful act, and the choice really fell on such a person. Photius, nephew of the former Patriarch Tarasius, son and grandson of martyrs for Orthodoxy, was known throughout the empire for his intelligence, scholarship, and devotion to the Church. He enjoyed universal respect, held high government positions: he was the head of the royal guard, the first secretary of state and a member of the Senate, headed the embassy, but amid the noise of court life, he studied science and the word of God with ardent love. There was no science not familiar to him. He was engaged in philology, and philosophy, and medicine, and history, and jurisprudence, and literature. Around him, in his house, gathered the most worthy and learned men of Constantinople, who deeply respected him. And such was his influence on the course of education, on the entire scientific world, that the century in which he lived is still called in history the age of Photius. There was no objection to this choice. Most of the clergy was devoted to Photius, and at the Council, which was attended by the followers of Ignatius, only five votes were against the election of Photius to the patriarch. But he himself did not at all want the rank offered to him and answered with a refusal. “And without actually experiencing it,” he later wrote, “I felt unworthy of the episcopal and pastoral office; at the same time, I was embarrassed by the expectation of the troubles now overwhelming my soul. I AM wept, begged, took every measure to reject the election, begging that the cup of many and varied worries and temptations be carried past me. That is why I persisted when they drew me to accept the holy dignity. "

There is no reason to doubt the sincerity of these words. The position of Photius, high and independent, gave him leisure for his favorite pursuits, and the dignity of the patriarch under such a ruler as Barda, who had done so unlawfully to Ignatius, provided only a number of worries and troubles. Photius repeated his refusal several times, and not earlier than a month after the deposition of Ignatius, finally yielded to the intensified requests of the emperor, who, accompanied by clergy, came to beg him. In the course of six days he passed all church degrees and was ordained patriarch.

Of course, Photius regretted more than once that he had agreed to take a place that had been abolished by violent and arbitrary action. The expected troubles fell on him from all sides. Ignatius, who at first agreed to renounce the patriarchal dignity, now insisted that he was the legitimate patriarch. The enemies of Barda held his side, and part of the clergy did not recognize Photius. Warda used force to break the stubbornness of those who disobey him. Ignatius and his supporters were severely persecuted; many have undergone imprisonment, torture, and deprivation of property. Such actions harmed Photius, although he was not guilty of them, but, on the contrary, tried in every possible way to restrain Barda and incline him to meekness and condescension. At court, the outrage reached the highest degree: the young emperor openly sneered at the Church and its holy rites, and his favorite pastime was imitating drunken courtiers of the Church's sacred rites. During these outrageous amusements, some of his entourage were called bishops, and one of the court dignitaries represented the patriarch. “Ignatius,” said Mikhail, “is the patriarch of Theodora; Photius - Patriarch of Barda; and Feoktist is mine. " Photius tried to put an end to such blasphemy, but his enemies accused him of conniving at the emperor's vices, and the patriarch, made unworthy by Varda, bore the brunt of the actions and guilt of his patron.

A council convened in Constantinople pronounced the deposition of Ignatius on the basis of his abdication. But this did not improve matters; the excitement grew. As happened before with the rivalry between the two capitals of Christendom, dissatisfied with Constantinople complained in Rome. Now, more than ever, the deposed Ignatius and his supporters could hope to find support from the Pope, who placed the title of Bishop of Rome so high and defended the independence of spiritual authority from civil authority.

Photius decided to convene a Council and asked the Pope to take part in it. In addition to the case of Ignatius, the council was supposed to resolve some other church issues that remained unresolved after the iconoclastic troubles. The Emperor wrote a letter to Pope Nicholas; Photius also wrote to him, informing him of his consecration to the patriarch, asking for his brotherly disposition and inviting him to take part in the proposed Council. The letter was written with the same feeling of respect that was always shown to the bishop of Rome, the ancient, first capital of the empire, but Nicholas did not want to understand it in that sense. He responded extremely arrogantly, arrogating to himself the rights of the head of the Church and the supreme judge in church affairs. He expressed his displeasure for the fact that without his knowledge and consent, allegedly contrary to church laws (such a law was listed only in fictitious decrees), a council was convened that deposed Ignatius; for the fact that a layman was elected to the patriarch, - and finally wrote to Photius that he could not recognize him until he examined the affairs through his legates, whom he sent to the Council. At the same time, he demanded the return of Illyricum and income from the regions taken away by Leo Isa the Vryanin.

The cathedral opened in 861 in the presence of more than three hundred bishops, among whom were the papal legates, two bishops. The council confirmed the deposition of Ignatius and recognized Photius as the legitimate patriarch. Together with the resolutions of the Council, Photius sent Pope Nicholas a letter in which, with refined politeness, but skillfully and firmly, he denied all the claims made by the Pope. One should not reproach him (Photius), he wrote, for violating laws unknown to the Church (thus alluding to the forged laws on which the Pope based his right to headship). As for his election as patriarch from among the laity, there were many examples of this in church history in the East and in the West. However, from the first times of Christianity, different customs existed in different Churches, which did not interfere with communication until these differences touched the essence of the dogmas. And the Roman Church more than once deviated in customs and rituals from the decrees of the ancient Apostolic Church. Moreover, pointing out these deviations, he urged the pope to comply with that ancient decree, according to which it was not allowed for the bishop of a foreign country or the patriarch to accept and examine complaints from persons who were dissatisfied with their spiritual authorities and did not receive confidential letters from their bishop. There was no answer to the demand by Pope Illyricum.

Pope Nikolai was, of course, extremely unhappy. He convened a council in Rome, deposed his legates as bribed by Constantinople, declared Ignatius the legitimate patriarch, declared Photius anathema and threatened Emperor Michael III with the same if he did not carry out his decrees. But Michael responded with a very rude letter, in which he wrote that Photius was right and that the Pope was not recognized as a judge in this matter. The Pope continued to insist, but to no avail.

Photius, meanwhile, was actively engaged in church affairs. The Bulgarian prince expressed a desire to accept the Christian faith, and Photius sent preachers and priests to him, explained to him in writing the dogmas of faith and the rules of Christian life. He sent teachers Constantine and Methodius to the Moravian princes, who carried the word of God in the Slavic language to the Slavic lands and thus laid a solid foundation for Christian enlightenment in these countries; he tried to attract the Armenian Church to an alliance with the Orthodox Church. However, the Bulgarian affairs led to an acceleration of the gap between Rome and Constantinople and caused new curses from the Roman bishop against Photius.

At the same time that Greek preachers were working to spread Christianity in Bulgaria, secret agents of the pope instilled in converts doubts about the purity of the teachings of the Eastern Church. They said that it was not true Christianity that was being preached to them, because true faith could be spread only through those sent from the Pope, the governor of the apostles and the head of the Church; that the sacraments performed by married Greek priests are invalid. Thus agitating the new converts, they at the same time tried to inspire the Bulgarian prince that the dependence of Bulgaria on Greece in the ecclesiastical relation could lead to political dependence and that it would be much safer for him to enter into relations with Rome than with Constantinople. At the same time, Emperor Louis threatened Bulgaria. The Bulgarian prince, in alarm and bewilderment, decided to ask the Pope for help and advice. Pope Nicholas wrote a letter in which he taught him the rules of Christian morality, taught him obedience to Rome and, meanwhile, hastened to send a bishop and priests to Bulgaria, who become to destroy everything that the Greeks did. They anointed the baptized St. the world, assuring that the chrismation performed by the Greek priests is invalid; established celibacy of the clergy, fasting on Saturdays and other innovations of the Latin Church; introduced a modified Symbol of Faith, rebelled against the use of the vernacular in worship and persecuted Greek preachers. Photius, having learned about this, informed the East of the Pope's deeds in Bulgaria with a circular letter and, pointing out in detail all the deviations of the Roman Church from ancient Orthodoxy both in dogma and in rituals, invited the Eastern patriarchs and bishops to the Council in Constantinople. In 867, the Council condemned the innovations of the Western Church and decided to depose Pope Nicholas. About a thousand bishops signed the resolutions of the Council, and it was decided to ask for the assistance of Emperor Louis, who was also alarmed by the power-hungry claims of Pope Nicholas.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Boris of Bulgaria

These actions of Photius, and especially the accusations against the Western Church of deviating from the dogmas of the Apostolic Church, vexed the Pope. We have seen that the innovation in the Symbol was strongly condemned by one of Nicholas' predecessors, Pope Leo III. The boards that he put in the church of St. Peter, testified to the justice of Photius' words. But dad Nikolai did not want to admit it. He wrote to the Gallican bishops to defend the new doctrine expressed in the Symbol. Several writings have indeed appeared in defense of the opinion expressed by the words "and from the Son"; the most remarkable of these works were written by Bishop Aeneas of Paris and the monk of the Corvian monastery Ratramnos. From that time on, the innovation in the Symbol, which until then was only a private opinion, was established in the West as a dogma of faith.

In the meantime, circumstances have changed a lot. Pope Nicholas died in 867, and Photius was removed that same year. Basil the Macedonian, the favorite of the emperor, killed him and took the throne. Photius fearlessly rebuked the regicide, and Basil, having defrocked him and imprisoned him in a monastery, returned Ignatius to the See of Constantinople.

In Rome, they celebrated the deposition of Photius. Emperor Basil wanted rapprochement with the West, and therefore the Pope could hope that they would yield to him in many ways. Nicholas' successor, Adrian II, at a council in Rome, in the presence of those sent from Greece, repeated the anathema to Photius and persuaded the emperor to convene a Council in Constantinople to judge him. However, for about two years, they gathered bishops who would agree to condemn Photius, but nevertheless they found a very small number of them. Almost all the clergy were fervently devoted to the patriarch, who so firmly defended the independence of the Church and the purity of her teachings, so zealously fulfilled his duties. But finally the Cathedral was inaugurated in 869. The Pope sent two legates. Since the three eastern patriarchs did not send delegates, Saracen attorneys who came to ransom the prisoners were put in the form of their delegates. In general, the actions of this council became a disgrace for the Greeks and a triumph for the Latins: the pope's spiritual authority over the entire Church was recognized, and Photius was condemned. The decrees of the Council of 869, which the Latins still call the eighth ecumenical one, signed the Eucharistic Blood instead of ink. Photius, summoned to the Council as an accused, did not recognize the legality of his decrees. He did not answer the questions of the legates, did not object to their accusations and amazed everyone with his greatness and dignity. Some bishops were not afraid even at the Council to firmly defend the actions of Photius, declaring that the decrees of the Council mean nothing when they are not consistent with church laws; that Photius' dedication is legal and his actions are just. They were deposed and anathematized in the same way as Photius. He was also subjected to grievous confinement. For about a month, the former patriarch was dangerously ill, but even the doctor and servants were not allowed to see him; they took the books away from him. Photius spent seven years in such a harsh confinement and showed greatness and firmness of spirit, which even his enemies do not deny. He endured everything with imperturbable calmness, was not embarrassed by the anathema pronounced over him. “Anathema,” he wrote to one friend, “pronounced by the preachers of truth against impiety is a terrible execution; but the truth spoken by enemies strikes only those who uttered it; but for the innocent, instead of execution, he prepares unfading, incorruptible glory. " “True divine bliss is drawn only from the source of the words of God and their occupation,” he wrote. “What should I care about, not paying attention to grief? About keeping the soul intact and intact from the arrows of sin; and if any of them strikes the soul and even inflicts an ulcer on it, stimulate to heal the wound and restore health. All the rest: fame and wealth, beauty and strength, power and maturity of the body, and their more precious power of the word - all these are just ghostly representations. "

Meanwhile, the so-called "eighth ecumenical council" did not restore peace between Rome and Constantinople. First, the resolutions of the Council, signed by all those present, did not reach Rome. They were stolen from the legates on the way back. Many blame the Greeks for this, who allegedly wanted to destroy the evidence of their shameful concessions. Secondly, the Pope did not concede in the case of Bulgaria. By this time, the Bulgarians were convinced that the Latins were looking only for dominance over them, and again turned to the Greeks. In vain the Pope insisted on his rights regarding Bulgaria. Patriarch Ignatius, at the request of the Bulgarians sent to Constantinople, consecrated a bishop for their country and sent priests there. The Pope declared him anathema, which was repeated by the successor of Hadrian, John VIII. But Basil, having established himself on the throne, now cared little about good relations with Rome. After seven years of grievous imprisonment, Photius was again called to the court; the emperor, who respected scholarship, entrusted him with the education of his children. Photius' first desire was reconciliation with Ignatius.

The former opponents, having seen each other, fell at each other's feet and asked for forgiveness from one another. The most sincere friendship replaced the old enmity. When Ignatius suffered a near-death illness, Photius visited and consoled him. While dying, he entrusted Photius with his relatives and friends.

After the death of Ignatius, Photius took his place (879), and the wise Pope John VIII, who wanted peace with Byzantium, declared invalid in Rome all the condemnations and anathemas pronounced against Photius and the council convened in Constantinople, sent his legates, who were to recognize Photius for the legitimate patriarch, subject to the concession to Bulgaria. But Photius, of course, did not wait for the permission of the pope to consider himself the legitimate patriarch. Under his chairmanship, a numerous Council was opened, which rejected all the decisions of the Council of 869, reiterated the prohibition to add anything to the Niceo-Constantinople Symbol and confirmed the equality of rights between the Roman See and the Constantinople. All this was signed by the papal legates, hoping by their compliance to achieve the desired dominance in Bulgaria. But Photius did not yield to Bulgaria either. Then, after the return of the legates from Rome, curses fell on Photius again. They were repeated by John's successors. Finally, the enemies of Photius managed to arouse the suspicions of the new emperor Leo against the patriarch, who deposed him.

The great defender of Orthodoxy died in a monastery, under the anathema of the pope and out of favor with the Greek emperor, in 886.

The name Photius is still hateful to the Latins, who even call Photius the heresy of Greek Orthodoxy, as if Photius introduced something new, and did not defend the ancient apostolic rules. We pronounce this name with deep respect, as the name of the defender of the freedom of the Church from the lust for power of the popes, because in the West, true teaching was increasingly clouded by arbitrary innovations. The gap between Rome and Constantinople was sharper; attempts at reconciliation remained unsuccessful, because too important deviations of Rome from ancient Orthodoxy had already taken place. The Roman Church did not want to confess to them, but, on the contrary, defending its imaginary rights, more and more moved away from the truth and went further and further along the wrong path.

Hike Oleg to Byzantium (907). Miniature

The dispute with the Western Church gave Photius an occasion to write several dogmatic writings on the issues that divided the Churches. He wrote the book "The Secrecy of the Holy Spirit"; in the "District message" he denounced arbitrary innovations of the West. In addition, many of his writings have survived in other ways: against the Pavlikians, the "Library", which critically examines up to 286 works, explanations of Holy Scripture, several sermons and teachings, distinguished by depth of thought and lively eloquence. For us, his three "Words" about the attack on Constantinople by the Russians are remarkable, because the consequence of this invasion of the Russians on Constantinople was the baptism of the Kiev princes Askold and Dir and many of the Kievites.

From the book The Sacred Nativity scene author Taxil Leo

DISPUTE BETWEEN THE DAD AND THE EMPEROR. Having pitted England and Spain, Sixtus the fifth turned his gaze to Germany and asked the bishops and Catholic orders not to obey Emperor Rudolph II. The German ambassador to the Roman court expressed a vigorous protest on behalf of the emperor.

From the book Real help in difficult times. Help from those who have always helped people! Encyclopedia of the Most Revered Saints author Chudnova Anna

Evidence of the Miracles Performed by Nicholas the Wonderworker On May 22, on the day of commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas, the novice of the Pyukhtetsky Monastery V., getting ready for the service, thought: "How I want oranges!" The service on this day always takes place in the Nikolsky Church, which

From the book Introduction to Patristic Theology the author Meyendorf Ioann Feofilovich

From the book Volume 7. Letters the author Brianchaninov Saint Ignatius

From the book The newest book of facts. Volume 2 [Mythology. Religion] the author Kondrashov Anatoly Pavlovich

Since when did the Roman high priest come to be called the pope? In claiming leadership in the Christian church, the Roman bishops claimed a special title that would set them apart from other Christian bishops. Marcellinus (296-304) borrowed this title from

From the book Materials of the site Savetibet.ru (without photos) author Gyatso Tenzin

From the book Materials of the site Savetibet.ru author Gyatso Tenzin

From the book The Selected Vessel of God. Amazing exploits of the Monk Seraphim Vyritsky. the author author unknown

"Call him Nikolai" Vera Ivanovna Barysheva told a story before her death, which followed in 1981. * * * ... My friend Ekaterina knew Father Seraphim well from the Lavra. She lived with her husband in Ligovo, and before the October coup they had a small

From the book The Complete History of the Christian Church the author Bakhmetieva Alexandra Nikolaevna

From the book Distant Parish (collection) the author Nikolay Konyaev

Meeting with the miracle worker Nikolai (Svetlana's story) It was still under the Soviet regime ... Then I went to visit my aunt in the village. And, when they were already saying goodbye, she asked to transfer a hundred rubles from her to the church ... - Good! I nodded. - And what can I say, what is this money for ... - Yes

From the book Do they give the seal of antichrist today? the author Kuraev Andrey Vyacheslavovich

Conversation with Elder Father Nikolai (Guryanov) O. Tikhon: - Father John says: we will not ask for the number ourselves, this TIN, if they give it, we don’t refuse. Father Kirill says: I personally will not take, and the rest - as if by conscience. What do you say? Nikolay: - What is it? Tikhon: - Po

From the book Voices from Russia. Essays on the history of collection and transmission abroad of information about the situation of the Church in the USSR. 1920s - early 1930s the author Olga Kosik

Collecting information about persecution in the commission of the Holy Council and in the office of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. Dissemination of the Patriarch's Messages

From the book Real help in difficult times [Nicholas the Wonderworker, Matrona of Moscow, Seraphim of Sarov] the author Mikhalitsyn Pavel Evgenievich

“I managed to say goodbye to my dad” Matronushka always helps me. But there was one such incident that I want to tell you about: they called me and said that my dad was dead and I urgently needed to go to the funeral. It was in the summer, and there were no tickets to the south. I was told that

From the book Essays on the History of the Ecumenical Orthodox Church the author Dvorkin Alexander Leonidovich

II. The era of Patriarch Photius. Mission of Sts. Kirill and

From the book Ascetic Creations the author of the Ascetic Mark

From the book Letters the author Nicholas of Japan Holy Equal to the Apostles

Correspondence svschmch. Andronicus (Nikolsky) with St. Nicholas Your Eminence I am ashamed to confess, but it is necessary; I am sick. What hurts? Yes, everything: the head is filled with lead, (severe dizziness, as if falling; of course, from weakness), sometimes (rarely) in the heart as if hot

(~820–896)

Saint Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople (Greek. Πατριάρχης Φώτιος ), lived in the 9th century, came from a family of zealous Christians. His father died a martyr's death for protecting the icons. Saint Photius received an excellent education and, being related to the imperial house, served as the first secretary of state in the Senate. Contemporaries said about him: "he was so different in information in almost all secular sciences that he could rightfully be considered the glory of his age and could even argue with the ancients." He taught the young heir to the throne Michael and the future enlightener of the Slavs, Equal to the Apostles Kirill. Deep Christian piety protected Saint Photius from the seduction of the blessings of court life - with all his soul he strove for monasticism.

In 857, the co-ruler of Tsar Michael, Bardus, removed Patriarch Ignatius from the Constantinople See. The bishops, knowing the piety and extensive scholarship of Photius, pointed out to the emperor him as a man worthy to occupy the primacy throne. Saint Photius humbly accepted the offer. For 6 days he was held according to hierarchical degrees, and on the day of the Nativity of Christ he was consecrated a bishop with the elevation to the patriarchal throne. However, unrest soon began in the Church, kindled by Patriarch Ignatius, who was removed from the see. In 861, a Council was convened to end the troubles, at which the deposition of Ignatius and the approval of Photius as patriarch were approved. Pope Nicholas I, whose ambassadors were present at this Council, hoped, confirming Photius as patriarch, to subordinate him to his power, but, not receiving what was expected, at the Roman Council he anathematized Photius. From that time on, for Saint Photius, a confrontation between the papal willfulness and the encroachment on the Orthodox Church of the East, which lasted until the end of his life, began. In 864 the entire Bulgarian country voluntarily converted to Christianity. The Bulgarian prince Boris was baptized, as it is believed, by Patriarch Photius himself, after which Saint Photius sent an archbishop and priests to Bulgaria for the Baptism of the Bulgarian people, and in 865 - Saints Cyril and Methodius to preach Christ in the Slavic language. However, the adherents of the pope in Bulgaria aroused the distrust of the Bulgarians towards the preachers of the Eastern Church. The plight of Bulgaria due to the attack of the Germans forced them to seek help in the West, and the Bulgarian prince turned to the pope with a request to send him his bishops. Arriving in Bulgaria, the papal legates began to actively assert in it the teachings and customs of the Latin instead of the Orthodox. Saint Photius, being a firm defender of truth and denouncer of falsehood, informed the Eastern Church about the deeds of the Pope in a district letter, pointing out the deviation of the Roman Church from ancient Orthodoxy not only in rituals, but also in confession. A Council was convened to condemn the willfulness of the West.

In 867, the imperial throne was seized by Basil the Macedonian, having killed the emperor Michael. Saint Photius denounced the murderer and did not allow him to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ. For this he was removed from the patriarchal throne and imprisoned in a monastery. Patriarch Ignatius was again put in his place. The Council, convened to investigate the act of Saint Photius, was held with the participation of the papal legates, who demanded that the Council sign a letter of unconditional submission of the entire Church to the Pope's court. The Eastern bishops, not agreeing to this, entered into a dispute with the legates. Summoned to the Council, Saint Photius answered in silence all the attacks of the legates and only to the question of the judges: does he want to repent, answered: "Have the judges themselves thought about it?" After a long debate, Photius' opponents won a victory, and, having no grounds for condemnation, pronounced an anathema to Patriarch Photius and the bishops who defended him. The saint was sent into confinement for 7 years and, according to his own testimony, “he only thanked the Lord, patiently bore His judgments ...” At that time, the Latin clergy were expelled from Bulgaria for the will of the pope, and Patriarch Ignatius sent his bishops there. In 879, after the death of Patriarch Ignatius, he was convened (called the 8th Ecumenical Fathers by many Church Fathers), who again recognized Saint Photius as the legitimate pastor of the Church. Pope John, who personally knew Photius, through ambassadors announced at the Council the abolition of all previous papal determinations about Photius. The Council recognized the inviolability of the Nicene-Constantinople Symbol, rejecting the Latin distortion (filioque), recognized the independence and equality of both thrones and both Churches (Western and Eastern). The Council decided to abolish in Bulgaria the church customs and rituals introduced by the Latins, thereby suppressing their rule there.

Under the successor of the emperor Basil, Leo, Saint Photius again suffered on a false denunciation, accused of conspiracy against the emperor. Having been dismissed from the see in 886, the saint ended his days at the Armonian monastery in 891.

Troparion of St. Equal to the Apostles Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, Tone 5

You were a brilliant proclaimer of wisdom, / God-given protector of Orthodoxy, Photius the Great adornment of the Fathers, / for you were not afraid of heresies, / expose their pride to this day, / a shining light from the East, / shining upon the Church, / keep the south, Father, unwavering forever.

Troparion of St. Equal to the Apostles Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, voice 4:

As apostolov one-man / and the universal teacher, / the Lord of all, Photius, pray, / the world of the universe is bestowed / and mercy to our souls.

Kondak St. Equal to the Apostles Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, voice 4:

The most radiant church luminary / and the most divine orthodox preceptor /, may the flowers be crowned with songs of songs, / the divine tsevnitsa Spirit, / the strongest heresy the adversary, / he is / is all-happy:

Kondak in Russian, voice 4:

The Church is a far shining lamp / and the Orthodox guide to God is the greatest / is now crowned with flowers of songs /, the God-sounding cithara of the Spirit / the hardest heresy is the enemy, / and with a cry of ti / rejoice, honorable Photius.

Prayer

About the all-wise and immense bishop, the equal of the apostles to the enlightener of the land of Bulgaria, the bright-voiced rumble of the Divine Spirit, to the Holy Hierarch, Father Photius, we now flow to you, and this little prayer we tenderly bring to you. Hear us, your humble children, reveal your intercession about us to the Highest, pleading with the warmth to forgive us your servants, and open the doors of your mercy to us. Do not be worthy, below rather see the height of heaven from the multitude of our sins. But even if we sinned and neither did the will of our Creator by our creator, nor did we preserve his commandments, we would also not turn to another god, lower than a simple hand to an alien god. Kneeling down, broken and humble of our heart to our creator and your paternal intercession to Him, we ask packs: intercede, saint of Christ, light-fortified Photius, to our country and the Church of Bulgaria, once soldered after your labors, now bitter temptations consumed. Help us, holy holiness of God, so that we do not perish with our iniquity, deliver us from every evil and from every thing that resists, control our minds and strengthen our hearts in the Orthodox faith, in it by your intercession and intercession, neither wounds, nor reprimands, nor any anger. from our Creator we will be diminished. We pray, good shepherd, wolves are heavy from the verbal flock of Christ, drive away Latin pride, as if it covers itself with humility, and speaks of flattering love for love, but I will rise up against the Cathedral Fortress Church, like the old seedlings. But preserve us well from heretical contrivances and instruct us in love. Teach us every good deed, especially tearful repentance for sins: as if, after our departure to the world there, we will cover the omophorion of your prayers and with the Mother's intercession of our Most Blessed Lady, save our airy ordeals and eternal torment, so that with you and with all the saints we will always glorify the name Father and Son and Holy Spirit, both now and ever and forever and ever, Amen.

He served as the first secretary of state in the Senate. Contemporaries said about him: "He was so different in information in almost all secular sciences that he could rightfully be considered the glory of his age and could even argue with the ancients."

Inquisitive people gathered in the house of Photius, with whom he shared the fruits of his studies; conversations on philological and philosophical topics were replaced by conversations of a theological nature; Possessing the richest library he collected himself, Photius read with his students selected passages from various works and aptly assessed them in terms of form and content. But the imperious nature of Photius demanded unconditional obedience from the students. Even later, when he occupied the patriarchal throne, his house continued to be the focus of lively mental activity. He knew no language other than his native Greek; even the languages Latin and Hebrew, which no contemporary theologian can do without, were unfamiliar to him. This is due to the fact that in the century Byzantium still retained the position of a world power and the Byzantines, like their ancestors - the Hellenes, were content with their own culture and were inclined to look at other peoples, not excluding the "Latins", as barbarians. Photius was a true Byzantine; this helped him to become the head of the ecclesiastical and national movement against Rome.

First Patriarchate (858-867)

The bishops, knowing the piety and extensive scholarship of Photius, pointed out to the emperor him as a man worthy to occupy the primacy throne. Saint Photius humbly accepted the offer. For 6 days it was held according to hierarchical degrees, and on December 25, the bishops of Syracuse, Gregory Asvesta, Basil of Gorty and Eulampius of Apamea, was consecrated bishop with the enthronement of the patriarchal.

In the eyes of the Ignatians, supporters of the deposed Patriarch Ignatius, Photius was a usurper. A tragic struggle ensued between the Ignatians and the Photians. The beginning of this struggle should be sought not in the personal relations of the leaders of both parties, but in the previous history of the Byzantine Church, especially in those relations that prevailed in Byzantium during the rule of the enlightened Patriarch Methodius. The entire large party of the latter could not but be burdened by the reign of Ignatius, who, for all his high morality, was a zealous ascetic and patron of monks, especially the monks of the Studite monastery, who did not sympathize with the broad and humane church measures of Methodius. Therefore, Methodius' party unanimously supported the candidacy of Photius, who, according to his convictions, converged with Methodius. Like the latter, he showed a keen interest in enlightenment and began his activity with the renewal of the episcopate, calling to him people from whom he could expect assistance, mainly his own disciples; like Methodius, Photius treated heretics humanely and strove to limit the excessive influence of monks and cleanse monasticism from abuse. The monks, especially the Studite monastery, greeted Photius's election with extreme hostility; the entire party of Ignatius went over to the opposition. Relations between the parties immediately deteriorated: the Ignatians pronounced an anathema against the patriarch and his followers, the Photians responded in kind. The party of Ignatius was severely persecuted by Varda, but threats and violence could not force the deposed patriarch to voluntarily renounce his dignity.

Squeezed by powerful enemies, the Ignatians decided to take a step that finally undermined their authority: having betrayed the main political tasks of the Byzantine Church, they sought support in unconditional submission to the papal primacy. The Byzantine court and the Photius party, in turn, recognized it desirable to win Pope Nicholas I (858-867) over to their side and sent a brilliant embassy to Rome with gifts and a request to send legates to Constantinople for the council, which was supposed to gather to pacify the church and destroy the remains iconoclasm. In this step of the Eastern Church, Nicholas, to whom the Ignatians had already managed to turn with a humiliating appeal, could see the recognition of his primacy. He sent two bishops with orders to familiarize himself with the dispute between Photius and Ignatius and to provide him with accurate information on this matter. In two letters to the tsar and to Photius, the Pope condemned the illegality of the actions of the Photius party, demanded the presence of Ignatius at the council and refused to recognize Photius as patriarch before his full acquittal. The haughty emphasis on papal supremacy, the demand for the release of the confiscated property of the Roman Church in Calabria and Sicily, and the claim for the restoration of papal authority in the dioceses of Salun and Syracuse should have unpleasantly struck the national sentiment of the Byzantines.

Nevertheless, the court decided to achieve its goal peacefully; papal legates managed to appease with gifts and promises; The Council of Constantinople that met in May of the year, which consisted mainly of supporters of the Photius party (318 bishops), forced Ignatius to renounce the throne and, in the presence of papal ambassadors, recognized the election of Photius as legitimate. When the papal legates, accompanied by the Byzantine embassy, returned to Rome, Nicholas gathered the clergy, gave him a report on Byzantine affairs, read the letters of the tsar and Photius, filled with flattering expressions, but at the same time censure of the mistakes of the Latin Church, and declared the deposition of Ignatius and the election of Photius illegal (March). The following spring, at the Roman Council, not only was this verdict confirmed, but the guilty legates, Photius and Archbishop Gregory Asvesta of Syracuse, who performed the rite of his consecration, were committed to excommunication.

St. Photius, supported by King Michael and Caesar Barda, prepared to fight. With the sympathy of the majority of the clergy, he brought solidarity and unanimity into the midst of his party. As a subtle politician, he linked the interests of the Eastern Church and Byzantine politics with his personal affairs.

Summoned to the Council, Saint Photius answered in silence all the attacks of the legates, and only to the question of the judges whether he wanted to repent, he answered: "Have the judges themselves thought about it?"

The decisions of this council, signed by only 102 Ignatian bishops, were equal to the complete victory of the Roman Church: Photius and his followers were excommunicated from the Church, all their actions were destroyed, the Eastern Church was made dependent on the curia. Saint Photius was sent into confinement for 7 years and, according to his own testimony, "he only thanked the Lord, patiently bore His judgments ...".

But this victory for Rome was short-lived. First of all, on the issue of the newly converted Bulgars, even the Ignatians resolutely rebuffed the claims of the pope. The Latin clergy were expelled from Bulgaria, and Patriarch Ignatius sent his bishops there.

The mood of the people and the majority of the clergy was resolutely on the side of Photius, who with dignity, without defending himself, listened to the verdict of the council and withdrew to the Skepsky monastery; Likewise, the numerous adherents of Photius, who refused to sign the humiliating formula drawn up in Rome and submit to the decision of the council ruled by the legates, made a tremendous impression on the people, strengthening Photius' authority. The movement, favorable for Photius, was further strengthened by the fanaticism of Ignatius and his servility towards Rome. In the person of Photius, the best pastors of the Eastern Church felt humiliated before the hated West. Even the Emperor Basil himself, over time, completely submitted to the influence of St. Photius, who was elected to tutor the heir to the throne.

Second Patriarchate (877-886)

To strengthen his position, the patriarch wanted to make peace with the new pope, John VIII (872-882). At the request of Basil, the Pope sent his legates to the Council, which was supposed to pacify the Church.

Death and veneration

Ancient, but unreliable news relates his death to the year in the monastery of the Armenians (μονή των Αρμενιανών) in Pontic Comanes where he was exiled; in general, there is only scanty news about the last years of his life.

In view of the conciliatory policy that Byzantium followed after the year, the rehabilitation of Photius through the inclusion of his name in the synodikon could have taken place not without struggle and hesitation, and relatively late; but already one of the closest successors of Photius, his admirer and disciple Nicholas the Mystic, greatly contributed to the cleansing of his memory, and at the council of 1156, along with the patristic, passages from the writings of Photius were cited.

The Orthodox Church venerates Saint Photius as a zealous defender of the Orthodox East from the dominion of the popes and as a learned theologian who has left numerous and varied works devoted to exposing the errors of the Latins, refuting various heresies, explaining Holy Scripture, and revealing various objects of faith.

The Brockhaus Encyclopedia calls St. Photius the largest figure in Byzantium c. After a complete stagnation of spiritual life, which lasted from the middle of the 7th century. before the end of the iconoclastic period, the sudden appearance of such a versatile and prolific writer and scientist as Photius is evidence of the onset of a literary and cultural revival in Byzantium, which reached its climax in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Proceedings

The largest of the theological works of St. Photius - "Amphilochias", named after the Cystic Metropolitan Amphilochius, to whom the author refers. This is a series (more than 300) of scholarly discourses, alternating without a definite system, about various issues of secular and ecclesiastical science; this composition makes it possible to assess the height of Byzantine education around the middle of the century. More than 3/4 of Amphilochius deal with exegetical questions about texts from Genesis, the Pentateuch, Psalms and the Gospel; dogmatic themes are also touched upon - the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, atonement, incarnation, veneration of icons, etc. The author does not touch upon the issues on which the Orthodox Church differed from the Roman, although the essay was written during the first exile of Photius (867-877). The saint makes extensive use of the writings of John Damascene, Theodoret of Cyrus, Cyril of Alexandria, and others.

Photius' exegetical writings also include his biblical commentaries.

In the field of dogmatics, St. Photius enriched Byzantine literature even less than in the field of exegesis. Only by refuting the filioque did he deeply influence the dogmatic literature of the Byzantines: this question runs like a red thread through all the later theological literature and has given rise to an innumerable number of treatises.

The main work of Photius, directed against the Latins, is entitled: "Περί της τού άγιον πνεύματος μυσταγωγίας". Here the saint combined all the evidence that could be gleaned in favor of the Greek formula from St. Scriptures and patristic works. Great dialectical dexterity and passionate tone are the hallmarks of this work. Photius does not attack the Roman Church directly; he even refers to the former popes as representatives of the true doctrine against Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Later polemicists willingly used this work of Photius to fight Rome.

Another polemical work of Photius, "Διήγησις περί τής Μανιχαίων άναβλαστήσεως" is devoted to the refutation of the main Manichean and Paulician false teachings.

Many of his letters also belong to the dogmatic-polemical writings of Photius, for example. his famous district epistle to the bishops (Εγκύκλιος έπιστολή, 867), a letter to the Patriarch of Aquileia regarding a dispute with the Latins, a letter preserved in the Armenian translation to Zechariah, the Catholicos of Greater Armenia. The Patriarchate of Constantinople did not lose hope of bringing back to unity the Armenian Church, the only of the Eastern churches with which direct relations could be maintained.

The small essay "Συναγωγαί καί άποδείξεις", despite its ecclesiastical-historical content, was aimed at justifying the election of Photius.

Polemic arguments against Julian the Apostate and the heretic Leontius of Antioch have not reached us.

Saint Photius was a remarkable preacher, but only a few of his spiritual speeches have survived, and they are not all published; they were said partly about the feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos, partly about historical events. Especially valuable are two homilies about the Russian attack (860), which belong to the most ancient evidence of Russian enterprises against Byzantium. The orator sees in the invasion of the formidable barbarians a heavy punishment from God for the sins of Christianity.

Many theological writings are attributed to Photius without foundation, but, on the other hand, there is no doubt that the true works of the patriarch are hidden under false names. He was credited with the "Nomokanon" processed in the city, but now this opinion has been refuted. Nevertheless, Photius influenced canonical Byzantine law: the decrees of the councils of 861 and 879-880, which he included in the collections of canons, gradually acquired an almost universal significance.

The significance of Saint Photius as a secular writer, a subtle connoisseur and popularizer of classical education is much higher. In the "Library" (or "Miriobiblon"), compiled at the request of his brother Tarasiy, a number of reviews about the books read in the Photius circle are collected without a systematic arrangement in terms of content or literary genus, sometimes in the form of flying notes, sometimes in the form of detailed abstracts with significant excerpts , sometimes with biographical sketches. It is a huge compilation of the kind that the Byzantines so readily accepted. It is striking not only the variety and multitude of books read in Tarasius's absence (in the "Library" 280 reviews and extracts from the works of grammarians, rhetors, naturalists, historians, doctors, from council decrees, the lives of saints, etc.), but even more subtle and independent the judgment of Photius; in this respect he is the only Byzantine to bear comparison with Aristotle. The almost complete absence of poetry (apart from metric biblical arrangements) clearly speaks of the realistic direction of the author of the "Library". Extracts from historical writings are especially valuable, since Photius had monuments at hand that were later completely or partially lost. Well-known writers like Plato, Xenophon, Aristotle, Thucydides, Polybius, Plutarch, Pausanius, Hippocrates, are completely omitted in Photius's critical-bibliographic manual. To facilitate the reading of the ancients, especially classical writers, as well as the Holy Scriptures, under the editorship of Photius was compiled by his students "Dictionary".

In the letters of Photius (more than 260 of them are still known), which have a diverse content, the individual characteristics of the patriarch vividly stand out as a profound scholar, witty interlocutor and subtle stylist, competing with the brilliance of his rhetorical techniques with the ancient masters.

He also owns a collection of sayings, number 214.

Almost all of Photius's works, except the Dictionary, are published in Migne, Patrol. Gr., 101-104 (1860). For later editions of some of Photius's works, see Krumbacher.

Published in Russian:

Encyclical to the Eastern Patriarchs / Transl. Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) // Conversation between the probing and confident about the Orthodoxy of the Eastern Church. SPb., 1815. The same / Per. A. N. Muravyov // Truth of the Ecumenical Church about the Roman and other patriarchal departments. SPb., 1849. The same // Platonov I. V. Patriarch Photius. M., 1891.S. 141-144. The same / Per. prot. Alexandra Ivantsova-Platonova // About Roman Catholicism and its relation to Orthodoxy. Issue 1.M., 1869.S. 223-243.
Nomokanon / Per. Kazan, 1899.
Introduction to the sacrament / Per. E. Lovyagina // Spiritual conversation. 1866.
On the tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ / Introduction. and Greek. text by A. Papadopulo-Keramevs. Per. G. S. Destunis. Armenians. text and trans. N. Marra // Orthodox Palestine Collection. Issue 31. SPb., 1892.S. XII-298.
Conversations on the occasion of the Ross invasion of Constantinople / Per. E. Lovyagina // Christian reading. 1882. II. S. 414 ff.
Letters: - To Prince Mikhail of Bulgaria about his duties as a prince. M., 1779. - To the Catholicos of Armenia Zacharius // Orthodox Palestinian Collection. Issue 31.SPb., 1892.S. 227-245. See also: Christian Reading. 1845. III. P. 159 ff .; IV. P. 379 ff .; 1846. II. S. 3 sl .; Spiritual conversation. 1859, 1875; Sunday reading. 1855-1856. *

Prayer Words

Troparion, voice 5

Wisdom erector was glorious was esi, / Orthodoxy God-given protector, Father's decoration Photius the Great, / for he was not afraid, / denounced, he was not proud, he was proud, / reigned from the reign.

Kontakion, voice 4

Literature

J. Hergenröther, "Photios, Patriarch von Konstantinopel, sein Leben, seine Schriften u. Das Griechische Schisma", vol. 3, Regensburg, 1867-1869);
G. Yareda (hierom. Gerasim), "Reviews of contemporaries about Photius" ("Christian reading", 1872-73);
prof. A. P. Lebedev, "Essays on the internal history of the Byzantine-Eastern Church in the 9th, 3rd and 11th centuries." (2nd ed., M., 1902);
prof. A. P. Lebedev, "The history of the division of churches in the 9th, Χ and 11th centuries." (M., 1900);
A. Ivantsov-Platonov, article in "Journal. Min. People. Education." for 1892 (vols. 280, 281 and 283);
F. I. Uspensky, "Essays on the history of Byzantine education" (St. Petersburg, 1891).

Used materials

Biographies on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church:
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron.
Site Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής (http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2047/sxsaintinfo.aspx
The sister of Queen Theodora, Princess Irina, was married to the patrician Sergius, brother of Photius.
F. I. Uspensky, "Essays on the history of Byzantine education". SPb., 1891
"Gesch. Der Byzantin. Litteratur", 2nd ed., 1897, p. 77 ff., 722 ff.

After the Christianization of Bulgaria, relations between Rome and Constantinople worsened. This conflict was caused by the fact that the Bulgarian ruler hesitated whether to accept baptism at the hands of Rome or Constantinople. The question was not religious, but cultural and political orientation. Since Rome was further away, joining the Roman Church provided, as it seemed to Boris, greater independence for him as a ruler. But for the Byzantines, who bordered on Bulgaria, the appearance of such a neighbor was extremely undesirable. Therefore, Boris, as mentioned above, was baptized in the Eastern Church. However, his dream was to create a Bulgarian Church, not under the control of any of the great patriarchs (although probably under his own control). Boris sent Photius a list of questions to which the Patriarch's answers have been preserved. The Epistle of Photius was sustained in the tradition of high theology, not very clear to yesterday's pagans. In this message, the adoption of Christianity was associated with the assimilation of the features of the Byzantine civilization - the most developed at that time.

In matters of autonomy, Constantinople turned out to be not very accommodating, and the very next year Boris turned to Rome with questions about the organization of Christian life and the Church, and at the same time with a proposal to transfer to the Roman Patriarchate and grant self-government to the Bulgarian Church. It is clear that the last point was answered with a polite refusal. Moreover, Rome even rejected both candidates presented by Boris for episcopal consecration ... and the transfer to Roman tutelage was welcomed in every possible way (the immediate granting of self-government to the newly born Church was not at all characteristic of the Christian mission, although this was often desired by the sovereigns of the newly converted countries). Most of the questions were about the incomprehensible features of Byzantine life, the knowledge of which the missionaries wanted to equip the new converts along with their new faith. Such kulturtragerstvo, and even under the guise of part of the Christian religion, did not always find understanding among the barbarians, who had their own age-old ways of life. And although in matters of language the Roman Church was much less tolerant than the Eastern, but it did not insist on accepting the foundations of Byzantine civilization, which is not typical of it. This was enough for Boris to invite the Latin clergy to his place.

Nevertheless, the main goal of the tsar - church independence - was not achieved. Therefore, Boris again entered into correspondence with Photius, who this time turned out to be much more compliant in matters of "church life". This surviving correspondence between Boris and Pope Nicholas and Patriarch Photius on similar issues is one of the most interesting examples of not only different missionary practices, but also, more broadly, international contacts and relationships in the Middle Ages.

Although Boris ultimately decided to remain in the sphere of influence of the Byzantine Church, this did not stop Rome's claims, since Boris once called on the Latin clergy to him. In addition, since the time of iconoclasm, the question of the Balkan dioceses of the Roman Church, which the iconoclastic emperors then subordinated to the Patriarchate of Constantinople under their control, remained confused. The iconoclastic crisis was resolved, communion was restored, but neither the Orthodox Byzantine emperors, nor the patriarchs were in a hurry to hand over the dioceses to Rome. Against this background, a conflict arose between the two sees during the reign of Pope Nicholas in Rome and Patriarch Photius in Constantinople.

Added to this were internal Byzantine contradictions. In 858, Photius was elevated to the patriarchal throne in place of the deposed Patriarch Ignatius. When the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Emperor Basil I, came to power, he deposed Photius and reinstated Ignatius as patriarch. For the Roman Church it was an opportunity to get rid of a strong competitor, and at the council of 869 - 870. in Constantinople, in the presence of the papal legates, Photius was excommunicated, and Ignatius was confirmed as patriarch. However, Ignatius died a few years later, and then the emperor suddenly appreciated the abilities of the deposed patriarch, whom he had previously suspected of secret sympathy for Michael III, overthrown by Basil I.

However, even before his overthrow, Photius managed to raise the theological question, which transferred the entire conflict with the Roman Church on a different plane. It was a question of adding to the Creed, which was not used universally in the West, but in the Frankish and Spanish Churches. This addition, as Patriarch Photius argued, contradicted the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils on the inadmissibility of changes in the Creed, and also in its meaning violated the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This was the beginning of a theological dispute between the Christian West and East, which would later lead to the division into the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Even before his overthrow by the council of Basil I and the papal legates, Photius in 867 declared Pope Nicholas excommunicated for dogmatic innovations. This decision of Photius, to which he hardly had a canon right, was sent to the Eastern patriarchs. However, later this did not prevent him from ignoring this excommunication of the Roman pontiff and perceiving the pope as the legitimate patriarch of the West.

The conflict was resolved at the new Council of Constantinople in 879-880, which met again in the presence of the papal legates to confirm Photius. Here, the agreement of all Churches, including the Roman one, on the immutability of the Symbol of Faith and on some other issues was confirmed. Dogmatic like-mindedness in the Church was thus confirmed and preserved until the schism of the eleventh century. The question of the Bulgarian Church was also decided in favor of Constantinople.

In Bulgaria itself, Tsar Boris retired to a monastery in the late 880s, leaving the kingdom to his eldest son. He, under the influence of the Bulgarian nobility, carried out the restoration of paganism and began the persecution of the Church. 889 - 893 considered the time of pagan reaction in Bulgaria. Therefore, Boris had to leave the monastic solitude and again take power into his own hands. Having suppressed the pagan resistance, he transferred power to another son, Simeon, who for this had to take off his monastic vows, which he had already taken. At one time, Simeon lived for many years in Constantinople and, by upbringing and habits, was a man of Greek culture. However, despite this circumstance, his reign brought Byzantium innumerable dangers and troubles.