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ARCHBISHOP






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His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr.Christodoulos, was born at Xanthi, Thrace (Northern Greece) in 1939. In 1962 he graduated from the School of Law and in 1967 from the School of Theology. In 1961 he was ordained a deacon and a priest in 1965. He served as a preacher and senior spiritual father at the parish of Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Palaio Phalero, Athens, for nine years, and, for seven years he served as a Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod.

He was elected Metropolitan of Demetrias in 1974 and Archbishop of Athens and all Greece in 1998.

He is a Doctor of Theology, he has a degree in French and English, and he also speaks Italian and German. He is the author of many scientific and pastoral books.

He has received "Honoris Causa" Doctorates from the University of Craiova and the University of Iasi.

He recently published the book “Proselyte Hellenism - the transition from Αntiquity to Christianity”, where he interprets how the Christian Church managed to prevail and to proselytize the Greek and Roman world. Also his book “The European Psyche” has been recently published in 2nd edition. This is a study on the role of Christianity in the creation of the European world and the future of the European people in case its identity would be eradicated.

His accession to the seat of the Prelate of the Church was for him the beginning of an important pastoral and diaconical work. His Beatitude has been working to create a well-organized and dynamic presence of the Church in modern society.

He reorganized the Synodal Committees in order to have strong and direct intervention in all the crucial issues of modern society. Among them is the foundation of a Synodal Committee on Bioethics.

He encourages the existing services of the Church on social work and he launched new ones to confront social issues such as the welfare of drug-addicts and immigrants, the support for single mothers and abused women, the care for the victims of trafficking, the establishing of a chain of nurseries and infant schools, the assist of poor families and families with many children etc. He has also established Solidarity, a NGO of the Church of Greece, which allowed a humanitarian intervention of the Church on an international level ? in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

As it is often said, “Archbishop Christodoulos has introduced the Church into the digital era” establishing the Cultural Projects and Internet Service. Apart from the sites of religious interest, the Service has launched the first on line cultural center which includes a library, an art gallery, a music gallery, a video gallery, a site on the European spirit and a portal of cultural news.

His concern for European issues is of great significance. He established an ad hoc Synodal Committee and the Representation of the Church of Greece to the European Union in Brussels.

His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Mr. Christodoulos advocates for the dialogue of love between the Church of Greece and the Church of Rome. The visit of Pope John-Paul II in Athens, whose presence touched the hearts of Greek Orthodox people, was a decisive step towards this cause.


Books


«The European Psyche»

«Converted Hellenism:
The transition from Αntiquity
to Christianity»