Memorial of Saint Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople On June 13 (new style), the Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of Saint Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople. This saint lived in the 8th-9th centuries — during the Iconoclasm era, when Byzantine emperors destroyed sacred icons and believers who remained faithful to them were exiled and executed. Nikephoros was not a professional theologian, but became an apostle of faith, a protector of icons, and the author of important works. His life is an example of bravery, wisdom, and how a layman can become a saint. We will tell about him without dry hagiography. Career at Court and Monastic Withdrawal Saint Nikephoros was born around 758 in Constantinople in the family of a civil servant. He himself also pursued a state career, reaching the position of the imperial secretary (under Leo IV). He was married. But his career was cut short when Emperor Leo V the Armenian launched Iconoclasm (815). Although he was a layman, Nikephoros openly opposed the heresy. He was sent into exile to a monastery, where he took monastic vows. His wife, probably, had died by then. In exile, he led a strict life, studied theology, wrote treatises in defense of iconography. Patriarchate and the Struggle for Truth Despite the fact that Nikephoros was not a priest, his profound piety and education attracted the attention of the church circles. In 806, he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople (this was before Iconoclasm, under Emperor Nikephoros I Genikos). During this period, he was engaged in church administration, fought against the heresy of the Iconodules (the doctrine that God suffered). However, the main test came later. In 815, Emperor Leo V resumed Iconoclasm. Nikephoros convened a council that confirmed the veneration of icons. Then he was arrested, deposed, and exiled to the island of Proconnesus (in the Sea of Marmara). There he spent 13 years, until his death in 828. Theological Legacy The main works of Nikep ... Read more