14th century
Saint Philotheos Kokkinos
A learned monk of the Great Lavra and twice Patriarch of Constantinople in the fourteenth century, a leading defender of Hesychasm.
Biography
Philotheos Kokkinos came from a distinguished family of Thessaloniki and became a monk and abbot of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos during the Hesychast controversy. In 1339 he signed the Hagiorite Tome in defence of Hesychasm and wrote in support of Gregory Palamas's teaching against its opponents.
He became Metropolitan of Heraclea in 1347 and later served two terms as Patriarch of Constantinople (1353–54 and 1364–76). As patriarch he supported Hesychast theology, helped organise the Churches of Russia, Serbia and Bulgaria, and left a rich body of theological writings, saints' lives and liturgical texts.