Agios Fotios Megas – Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Saint Photius of Constantinople: Life

Saint Photius was born in 810 AD in Constantinople. His family was pious and illustrious. His parents were Saint Sergius and Irene, who were persecuted during the time of the iconoclastic emperor Theophilos (829-842 AD).

The holy Photius was distinguished for his enormous education and the holiness of his life. He initially excelled in the highest political offices. In 858 AD, when Patriarch Ignatius was forcibly removed from the patriarchal throne by order of the emperor, Photius ascended to it.

In synodal letters, in which he emphasized the restoration of peace in the Church of Constantinople, he announced, according to custom, the news of his election to the Patriarchs of the East. However, there was a rift between the extreme politicians and the followers of Patriarch Ignatius, the “Ignatians”. The Ignatians gathered in the church of Saint Irene, excommunicated Saint Photius and proclaimed Ignatius Patriarch again.

Saint Photius, then, convened a synod in the church of the Apostles. The Council condemned as irregular the actions of the Ignatians. It ruled that Ignatius, having abdicated the throne, was no longer Patriarch and that, if he claimed his return to the throne, then he would automatically suffer the penalty of deposition and excommunication.

The great father of the Church Photius fought for the revival of the missionary consciousness of the Orthodox. He waged great and successful struggles in favor of the Orthodox faith against the Manichaeans, Iconoclasts and other heretics. He even succeeded in bringing many of them back into the bosom of faith.

He died on February 6, 891 AD while in exile at the Armenian monastery in Komana of Pontus. The Church has named him Great and honors his memory on the day of his earthly death.

Lithograph of Saint Photius the Great

Using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the charismatic hagiographer painted this work following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught on Mount Athos. At the four corners, the icon is painted with a gold finish, between the digging of the artificial aging.

Origin: Mount Athos