Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow

Philip was a leader in the church.

He lived in Russia a long time ago. He worked as a baker and a smith. Later, he led a large group of monks. They built many things like mills and canals.

Philip became a high leader in Moscow. He told the Tsar to stop being mean. Because of this, the Tsar was very angry. The Tsar had Philip killed. Many people call Philip a saint now. He is remembered for his faith.

Philip II was a high leader in the Russian church.

He was born in Moscow in 1507. As a young man, he became a monk. He lived at the Solovki Monastery. There, he worked as a baker and a smith. Philip helped lead the monks to build many things. They made mills, canals, and two large churches.

Later, the Tsar asked Philip to lead the church in Moscow. Philip said yes, but he had a rule. He wanted the Tsar to stop his violent ways.

Philip was a brave man. He spoke out against the Tsar's actions. This made Tsar Ivan the Terrible very angry. The Tsar removed Philip from his job. Philip was sent to a prison cell. He was kept in chains and given little food. In 1569, the Tsar's man killed Philip.

Many people believe the Tsar ordered this. Today, the Eastern Orthodox Church calls Philip a saint. They honor him for his faith and his courage.

Philip II was a very important leader in the Russian Orthodox Church.

He served as the Metropolitan of Moscow from 1566 to 1568. This means he was the top leader for the church in Russia. Many people remember him because he was a very brave man. He was one of the few leaders who spoke out against Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Because of his courage, he is now honored as a saint and a martyr.

Philip's life changed many times before he became a leader. He was born into a noble family in Moscow named Kolychev. As a young man, he chose to become a monk. Some stories say he heard a message from Jesus about serving only one master. He lived as a shepherd in a small village for a while. Later, he joined the Solovki Monastery on the White Sea.

At the monastery, Philip was a very hard worker. He worked at the iron forge and also as a baker. He eventually became the abbot, which is the leader of the monastery. Under his leadership, the monks built many useful things. They built two cathedrals and a brickyard. They also made water-mills and a system of canals to connect 72 lakes. These projects helped the monastery grow and become much stronger.

In 1566, the Tsar asked Philip to lead the church in Moscow. Philip agreed, but he had one big condition. He wanted the Tsar to stop the violence of the oprichnina. However, the Tsar did not stop his actions. In March 1568, Philip publicly told the Tsar he was wrong. This led to Philip being removed from his high position. The Tsar's men arrested him and kept him in a dark prison cell.

Philip died on December 23, 1569, just two days before Christmas. Many people believe the Tsar had him killed. After he died, people reported many healings near his tomb. In 1652, his remains were brought to Moscow. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his memory three times a year. His main feast day is on January 9. People also honor him on July 3 and October 5.

Saint Philip II of Moscow was a high-ranking leader in the Russian Orthodox Church.

He served as the Metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus' from 1566 to 1568. This role made him the primate, or the highest-ranking official, of the church. Philip was the thirteenth metropolitan of Moscow appointed without approval from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. This was unusual because such approval was the standard norm. He is remembered today as a saint and a martyr within the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Philip was born Fyodor Stepanovich Kolychov on February 11, 1507, in Moscow. He came from the Kolychev family, which was an old and noble boyar family. His ancestors included Andrei Aleksandrovich Kobyla, a member of one of Muscovy's noblest families. As a young boy, he was taken into the royal court by Grand Prince Vasili III. Some accounts suggest he was friends with the Tsarevich Ivan, who later became Tsar Ivan IV. Other stories claim he was involved in a conspiracy against Elena Glinskaya. When that plot was discovered, he escaped to the Solovetsky Monastery on the White Sea.

Another account describes a different reason for his religious life. While standing in church for the Divine Liturgy on June 5, 1537, he heard the words of Jesus. The words were, "No man can serve two masters." Following this, he allegedly left Moscow secretly while dressed as a peasant. He lived in the village of Khizna near Lake Onega and worked as a shepherd. Eventually, he joined the monastery at Solovki at the age of 30. A year and a half later, he took monastic vows and received the name Philip.

Philip was a very active worker during his time at the monastery. He spent time working at the iron forge and as a baker. After eleven years, he was appointed as the hegumen, which is an abbot or monastery leader. Under his leadership, the community saw a great spiritual revival. He also established a new monastic rule, known as a typicon, for the community. The monks built many structures, including two cathedrals and a brickyard. They also constructed many water-mills and storehouses. Philip even helped build a network of canals that connected 72 lakes. Most of these projects still survive today.

In 1566, Tsar Ivan IV asked Philip to fill the vacant metropolitan see in Moscow. Philip accepted the position, but he set a specific condition. He demanded that the Tsar abolish the oprichnina, a period of state-sponsored violence. Philip was consecrated as a bishop and enthroned on July 25, 1566. However, the Tsar did not stop his actions under the oprichnina. On March 2, 1568, during the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, Philip spoke out. He refused to bless the Tsar during the Divine Liturgy and publicly rebuked him for the ongoing massacres.

Following his rebuke, the Tsar took harsh actions against Philip. Ivan deposed him from his office using charges of sorcery and dissolute living. Philip was arrested during the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Dormition. He was held in a dark cell at the Epiphany Monastery. There, he was bound with chains and a heavy collar. He was also deprived of food for several consecutive days. Eventually, he was transferred to the Monastery of the Fathers in Tver. On December 23, 1569, two days before Christmas, he was strangled by Malyuta Skuratov, a minion of the Tsar.

After his death, the monks of Solovki requested to move his body to their monastery. When they opened his tomb, they found his body was incorrupt. People began to report various healings associated with him. His remains were moved from Tver to Solovki in 1590. Later, in 1652, Patriarch Nikon convinced Tsar Alexis to bring the relics to Moscow. Philip was officially proclaimed a saint later that same year. His memory is honored three times a year. His main feast day is January 9. He is also celebrated on July 3 and October 5. In 1875, Metropolitan Innocent proposed including him in a special group of saints. This group honors Saints Peter, Alexis, and Jonah as Metropolitans and Wonderworkers of All Russia.