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THE HOLY SYNOD

Press Bulletin of the Holy Synod


Election of Metropolitans of Thessaloniki, Eleftheroupolis, Servia and Kozani, and Mesogaia and Lavreotiki


Athens, April 26, 2004

The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece convened on Monday, April 26, 2004, in one extraordinary session under the Presidency of His Beatitude the Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece, in the boardroom of the Holy Synod with the following agenda:

1) Ratification of the decision of the Holy Synod of March 1, 2004, and

2) Filling the vacant Holy Metropolises of Thessaloniki, of Eleftheroupolis, of Servia and Kozani, and of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki.


Before the session, a Prelatial Divine Liturgy was performed in the Catholicon of the Petrakis Holy Monastery, the Most Revered Metropolitan Ierotheos of Zichnai and Nevrokopion officiating.

Inside the boardroom the Holy Service was chanted for the blessing of the proceedings of the Holy Synod. After the Catalogue of the participating Hierarchs was read out, the following absences were recorded: those of the Most Revered Theokletos of Aetolia and Akarnania, the Most Revered Theophilos of Gortys and Megalopolis, the Most Revered Vartholomaios of Megara and Salamis, the Most Revered Theokletos of Ioannina, and the Most Revered Demetrios of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastron.

At the beginning of the Session, His Beatitude the President addressed the body of the Hierarchy with the wishes due to the occasion of the celebration of the Feast of Easter, and briefly interpreted the purpose of the extraordinary convocation of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece.

In his capacity of Vice-President of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy the Most Revered Metropolitan Chryssostomos of Messenia replied to His Beatitude’s address.

Subsequently, the Press Committee was constituted and its Members were the Most Revered Metropolitan Eustathios of Monemvassia and Sparta, the Most Revered Metropolitan Theokletos of Thessaliotis and Fanariofersala, and the Most Revered Metropolitan Daniel of Kaesariani, Vyron and Ymittos.

Thereafter, His Beatitude the President read out a Suggestion, which was discussed afterwards. The following Most Revered Hierarchs took part in the discussion: Germanos of Eleia, Kallinikos of Piraeus, Chryssostomos of Peristeri, Prokopios of Philippoi, Serapheim of Stagai, Amvrossios of Kalavryta, Apostolos of Kilkission, Chryssostomos of Zakynthos, Ieronymos of Thebes, Nikodemos of Patras, Stephanos of Trifyllia, Panteleimon of Xanthi, Meletios of Nikopolis, and Ierotheos of Nafpaktos.

After the end of the discussion, the following 3 proposals of His Beatitude were put to a vote:

“1. Ratification of the assenting proposal of the Standing Holy Synod of 1.3.2004 and immediate announcement of its ratification to the Patriarchate.

2. Granting of a further authorisation to the Standing Holy Synod for the handling of the whole issue, and more specifically, referral, to the Standing Holy Synod, of the study of and answer to all matters raised by the Patriarchate in Its recent documents, or else referral of them to two-party Committees depending on the decision of the Standing Holy Synod.

3. Immediate election for the filling of the vacant Holy Metropolises by virtue of the Tablet of eligible candidates, drawn up and legally elaborated by the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy within the legal deadlines”.


Of a whole of 71 Metropolitan voters, there were recorded:

-On the first proposal: 52 Yeas, 10 Nays, 4 Blanks, 5 Abstentions;
-On the second proposal: 42 Yeas, 17 Nays, 6 Blanks, 6 Abstentions;
-On the third proposal: 35 Yeas, 23 Nays, 8 Blanks, 5 Abstentions.


Next, the Hierarchy proceeded to fill the vacant Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki. It was decided that the filling of the aforementioned Metropolis would be effected by transfer, following a relevant first ballot, during which the transferability proposal received 46 votes. Thereafter, in a second ballot the Most Revered Metropolitan Anthimos of Alexandroupolis was elected Metropolitan of Thessaloniki with 49 votes out of a whole of 66 voters, whereas the Most Revered Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria received 5 votes and the Most Revered Metropolitan Ierotheos of Nafpaktos received 1 vote.

Afterwards, the Hierarchy proceeded to fill the vacant Holy Metropolis of Eleftheroupolis by election. For the fulfilment of the three-candidate requirement, of a whole of 65 voters, the following votes were recorded:

1) Archimandrite Chryssostomos Avayianos: 44 votes
2) Archimandrite Makarios Varlas: 20 votes
3) Archimandrite Christophoros Kolokythas: 18 votes


In the second round and after the scrutiny of the votes was completed, the Most Reverend Archimandrite Chryssostomos Avayianos was elected Metropolitan of Eleftheroupolis with 48 votes, out of a whole of 65 voters, whereas the Most Reverend Archimandrite Makarios Varlas received 5 votes and the Most Reverend Archimandrite Christophoros Kolokythas received 1 vote.

There followed the filling of the Holy Metropolis of Servia and Kozani by election. For the fulfilment of the three-candidate requirement, of a whole of 64 voters, the following votes were recorded:

1) Archimandrite Pavlos Papalexiou: 35 votes
2) Archimandrite Ioannis Tassias: 11 votes
3) Archimandrite Pavlos Apostolidis: 11 votes


In the second round and after the scrutiny of the votes was completed, the Most Reverend Archimandrite Pavlos Papalexiou was elected Metropolitan of Servia and Kozani with 38 votes, out of a whole of 64 voters, whereas the Most Reverend Archimandrite Ioannis Tassias received 4 votes and the Most Reverend Archimandrite Pavlos Apostolidis received 2 votes.

There followed the filling of the Holy Metropolis of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki by election. For the fulfilment of the three-candidate requirement, of a whole of 66 voters, the following votes were recorded:

1) Archimandrite Nikolaos Hadjinikolaou: 47 votes
2) Archimandrite Dionysios Mandalos: 26 votes
3) Archimandrite Polykarpos Korovessis: 18 votes


In the second round and after the scrutiny of the votes was completed, the Most Reverend Archimandrite Nikolaos Hadjinikolaou was elected Metropolitan of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki with 48 votes, out of a whole of 66 voters, whereas the Most Reverend Archimandrite Dionysios Mandalos received 11 votes.

Subsequently, the Metropolitans elect pronounced the Brief and the Great Message of Assurance before His Beatitude the President and the Members of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy.

The ceremony of ordination of the new Metropolitan elect Chryssostomos Avayianos of Eleftheroupolis will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, in the Holy Cathedral of Athens.

The ceremony of ordination of the new Metropolitan elect Pavlos Papalexiou of Servia and Kozani will be held on Thursday, April 29, 2004, in the Holy Cathedral of Athens.

The ceremony of ordination of the new Metropolitan Nikolaos Hadjinikolaou of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki will be held on Friday, April 30, 2004, also in the Holy Cathedral of Athens.

The Press Committee of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy