Photius of Alexandria

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His Beatitude, Photius of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Church of Alexandria from 1903 to 1926. Before his election to the see of Alexandria, Photius was among the leading candidates for the see of Jerusalem.

Patr. Photius was born in 1853. At the repose of Patriarch Hierotheus of Jerusalem in 1882, Photius was elected to the see of Jerusalem by the Holy Synod of Jerusalem over the other candidates: Bishops Nicodemus and Gerasimus. However, Imperial Russia opposed his election and convinced the Turkish Sultan to not issue a Berât approving the election. After his rejection, Photius returned to his monastery at Sinai.

In 1890, the Patriarchate of Constantinople persuaded the Sultan to depose Nicodemus, the incumbent patriarch of Jerusalem, and assign the [Ottoman Turk Documents|Berât]] to Photius. Once again Russia opposed Photius as Patriarch of Jerusalem, and he was once again not approved by the Sultan as patriarch. Photius was subsequently elected Metropolitan of Nazareth.

In 1899, Metr. Photius was elected and enthroned as Patriarch of Alexandria.

When, in the early 1920s, the Church of Greece contemplated a change to the use of the new calendar, Patr. Photius convened the Holy Synod of Alexandria which "reject[ed] every addition or any change of the calendar before the convocation of an Ecumenical Synod, which alone is capable of discussing this question, concerning which Ecumenical Council we propose a speedy convocation" as he reported in a telegram of January 15, (os) 1924 to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Significant in Patr. Photius' telegram is that he considered the issue one that needed to be discussed at an Ecumenical Council, not a "Pan-Orthodox Council".

Patr. Photius reposed in 1926

Succession box:
Photius of Alexandria
Preceded by:
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Metropolitan of Nazareth
1890-1899
Succeeded by:
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Preceded by:
Sophronius IV
Patriarch of Alexandria
1899-1926
Succeeded by:
Meletios II (Metaxakis)
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