Philotheus I of Constantinople

Relations with Rome

Since 1354 the Ottoman Empire had gained a foothold in Europe at Gallipoli, threatening Constantinople from a new side. By 1362 Adrianople fell to the Ottomans and served as the forward base for Ottoman expansion into Europe.^[9] Threatened anew, John V Palaiologos appealed to the West for help in defending Constantinople against the Turks, proposing, in return, to end the East–West Schism between Constantinople and Rome. In October 1369 John, having travelled through Naples to Rome, formally converted to Catholicism in St Peter's Basilica and recognized the pope as supreme head of the Church. Opposed to re-union on political terms, Philotheus opposed these efforts by John V to negotiate with Popes Urban V (1362–70) and Gregory XI (1370–78).

On the other hand, Philotheus' second period as Patriarch was notable for his efforts to open sincere discussions with the Roman Church to end the Schism — not by diplomatic efforts like those of Emperor John V, who had just abjured Orthodoxy for the Latin faith — but out of a real desire for a true and authentic union.^[3] To this end, in 1367 he was in favour of holding an ecumenical union-council to resolve the differences with the Western Church,^[1][6] however the discussions came to nothing as the idea was rejected by Pope Urban VI in 1369.^[3][4] This unfortunate end signalled to Philotheos the suspension of any further efforts to approach the West.^{[10][note 4]}

Synod in 1368

The authority of the Acts of the "Hesychast Council" of 1351 were confirmed in the synod of 1368.^{[6][note 5]} In addition, Philotheus led the synodal decision to proclaim Gregory Palamas a Saint, ordaining the Second Sunday of Great Lent to be his feast and composing the Church's services to St Gregory Palamas.^[8]

A notable example of the campaign to enforce the Orthodoxy of the Palamite doctrine was the condemnation of Prochorus Cydones at this synod. Applying Aristotelian logic to the Neoplatonic character of Hesychasm, Prochorus had accused Palamas of Pantheism or Polytheism. In the end, Prochorus was excommunicated and deposed from the clergy in perpetuity.^{[6][12][note 6]}

Relations with the Slavic Orthodox world

Philotheus also nourished a strong commitment to the unity of the Orthodox world in his second tenure,^[13][14] pursuing an ecclesiastical policy to organize the Orthodox churches of the Serbians, Russians, and Bulgarians, unto which hesychastic theology and spirituality spread.^[6]

About 1354 Saint Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the Trinity monastery, was visited by envoys from Patriarch Philotheus, urging him to introduce a community rule into his monastery, as the Byzantines placed increased value on Cenobitic monasticism in this period. After some hesitation, Saint Sergius complied with this request, and the Trinity monastery, by adopting the Studite Constitution, became the model for all other late medieval Russian koinobia.^[15] Secondly, the monastery's close links with Constantinople facilitated the spread of Hesychasm to Central and Northern Russia.^[15]

Since one of the obstacles to a united Orthodox front was the schism — since 1350 — which separated the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć, Philotheos recognized the latter in 1375 and restored unity.^[16] The act of excommunication of was revoked and the Serbian Church was recognized as a Patriarchate, under the condition of returning all eparchies in contested southern regions to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.^[17]

In 1375 Patriarch Philotheus consecrated Cyprian as 'Metropolitan of Kiev, Lithuania, and Russia' in the lifetime of Alexius, the lawful incumbent of two of these three sees. The Russians felt deeply humiliated by this affront to their popular metropolitan, and the confusion ended only in 1390, when the Muscovites accepted Cyprian as Metropolitan of Russia.^[18]

Writer and hymnographer

Philotheus was also engaged in writing a number of works setting forth the theology of the uncreated Energies and successfully taking issue with the humanist theologians who, in the works of Western scholastics, especially Thomas Aquinas, found a naturalistic philosophy that enabled them to express their love of classical Antiquity to the full.^[3] In addition, he also composed admirable lives of Saints. As a hymn writer, Philotheus is known for composing a service in commemoration of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon, as well composing the services to Saint Gregory Palamas.^[19]

Along with Callistus I, Philotheus was a Hesychast Patriarch of Constantinople, who used the lives of saints to extol the ideal of hesychia.^[20]

Exile and death

In 1376, Patriarch Philotheus was deposed by Emperor Andronikos IV Palaiologos, when the latter ascended to the imperial throne.

Philotheus reposed in exile in 1379. His tomb at the Monastery of Akatalyptos Maria Diakonissa (Theotokos Kyriotissa)^[21] became a place of many miracles.^[8]