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He was born in Pringipo in 1874, finishing his basic education there before going to the German-Swiss school of Galata and finally to the Zaripheo High School in Philippopolis. He studied theology at the University of Athens and Philosophy at the University of Munich. He spoke fluent Greek, Turkish, French, German, and Bulgarian.
In 1902 he was ordained deacon by his uncle, [[Metropolitan]] [[Photius of Philippopolis]], who also gave him his name. He remained in the Metropolis, where he reached the diocesan rank of [[Protosingelos]]. He was appointed the Patriarchal Exarch to Philippopolis from 1906-1914, at which point the Patriarchate patriarchate clergy were expelled from Bulgaria and Rumelia at the onset of World War I.
In 1915, he was elected assistant [[bishop ]] of Irenopolis, as assistant to his unclueuncle, who had since been transferred to the Metropolis of Kozanis. He was elected [[Metropolitan of Philadelphia]] in 1924, and a year later he was transferred to the [[Metropolis of Derkon]]. On 7 October 1929 he was elected [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] and enthroned on the same day.
During his Patriarchate, relations were restored between Greece and Turkey (after the 1919-23 Greco-Turkish War), a great deal due to the efforts of Venizelos and Ataturk. Photius looked to end the problems that had prevailed in the Church of America for many years, by appointing [[Athenagoras I|Athenagoras]] (a future patriarch) as Archbishop of America.
