Philotheos Kokkinos

PHILOTHEOS KOKKINOS. - Theologian and Palamite of the 14th century, from Thessalonica. His fame depends on the fact that, being a simple monk on Athos, he was charged with drawing up the Τόμος Ἀγιορευτικῆς in favor of Gregory Palamas. He is found later as hegumen of the Lavra on the same Athos, later metropolitan of Heraclea and, finally, twice patriarch of Constantinople (1353-54; 1364-76). In the three principal questions of his patriarchate, namely the Hesychast controversy, the Turkish danger and the union of the Churches, he gave eloquent proofs of his singular boldness in his manner of acting. While the emperor John V Palaiologos was negotiating with the Pope his submission to the unity of the Church, P. placed obstacles in the way by condemning the most prominent opponents of Palamism, such as Prochoros Kydones, and by inserting Gregory Palamas himself into the catalogue of saints (1368). He died in 1379, leaving a large legacy of patriarchal decrees worthy of study and a considerable number of works, for the most part unpublished. The Greek Church, although it does not keep P. K. in its synaxaria and menologies, still celebrates his memory on the Sunday known as that of Orthodoxy.

Emmanuele Candal