Photius I of Constantinople

Saint Photios the Great
Icon of Saint Photius from an image of a fresco in Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev
The Great, Confessor of the Faith, and Equal to the Apostles
Born	c. 810 Constantinople
Died	c. 893 Bordi, Armenia
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	1847, Constantinople by Anthimus VI of Constantinople; however, studies show that he was venerated as a saint as early as the 9th century, and by the Roman Church as late as the 12th century.
Feast	February 6

Photios I (Greek: Φώτιος Phōtios; c.  810 – c. 893), also spelled Photius (/ˈfoʊʃəs/) or Fotios, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 858 to 867 and from 877 to 886; He is recognized in the Eastern Orthodox Church as St. Photios the Great.

Photios is widely regarded as the most powerful and influential church leader of Constantinople subsequent to John Chrysostom's archbishopric in the late fourth century. He is also viewed as the most important intellectual of his time – "the leading light of the ninth-century renaissance". He was a central figure in both the conversion of the Slavs to Christianity and the Photian schism, and is considered "[t]he great systematic compiler of the Eastern Church, who occupies a similar position to that of Gratian in the West," and whose "collection in two parts...formed and still forms the classic source of ancient Church Law for the Greek Church."

Photios was a well-educated man from a noble Constantinopolitan family. Photius's great uncle was a previous Patriarch of Constantinople, Tarasius. He intended to be a monk, but chose to be a scholar and statesman instead. In 858, Emperor Michael III (r. 842–867) deposed Patriarch Ignatius of Constantinople, and Photios, still a layman, was appointed in his place. Amid power struggles between the pope and the Byzantine emperor, Ignatius was reinstated. Photios resumed the position when Ignatius died (877), by order of the Byzantine emperor. The new pope, John VIII, approved Photios's reinstatement. Catholics regard a Fourth Council of Constantinople (Roman Catholic) as anathematizing Photios as legitimate. Eastern Orthodox regard a second council named the Fourth Council of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox), reversing the first, as legitimate. The contested Ecumenical Councils mark the end of unity represented by the first seven Ecumenical Councils.