Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany is the Greek Orthodox Diocese for Germany subordinate to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . The seat of the Metropolitan is Bonn. The metropolis has over 70 parishes with over 150 places of worship. Around 450,000 Orthodox Christians, particularly of Greek and , to a lesser extent, Romanian origin belong to the parishes. This makes the metropolis the largest Orthodox diocese in Germany.

history

Agia Trias, aerial photo (2018)

Agia Trias Cathedral in Bonn

As early as 1700, church services were held in the Greek House in Leipzig. Orthodox parishes already existed in Germany in the 19th century. Until the 1960s, the care of the faithful took place via the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain , based in London.

On February 5, 1963 , as part of a reorganization of the parishes in the Greek diaspora, a separate metropolis was founded for Germany, which sent bishops to four cities. Since August 1969, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany has also been the exarchate of Central Europe. Its constitution was passed on December 20, 1972. The official participation of the metropolis in the Working Group of Christian Churches (ACK) in Germany began with full membership on November 8, 1973. However, contacts between the ACK and it began as early as 1966. On October 29, 1974, the metropolis was first recognized as a corporation of public law by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , which was followed by further recognitions for all old federal states until 1981.

At the beginning of 1978 the metropolitan center with the Agia-Trias metropolitan cathedral in Bonn was completed, which is still the seat of the metropolis today.

Metropolitans

Flag of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, as used by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany

The previous metropolitans were:

1964–1968: Polyeuktus (Finfinis)
1969–1971: Iakovos (Tzanavaris)
1971–1980: Irineos (Galanakis)
1980– 0000: Augoustinos (Lambardakis)

Vicar bishop

Bishop of Aristi Vasilios Tsiopanas
Bishop of Lefka Evmenios Tamiolakis
Bishop Bartholomew of Arianz
Bishop Emmanuel (Sfiatkos) of Christoupolis, appointed June 23, 2020.

Magazines

October 1967 to June 1968: Monthly magazine with the title Phylax (= guardian)

April 1972 to the end of 1979: Orthodoxos Metanastis (= Orthodox migrant)

Early 1981 until today: quarterly magazine with the title Orthodoxe Parousia (= Orthodox present)

Web links

Website of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany

Remarks

↑ In headings and in other places the spelling can be found as a proper name "Greek Orthodox Metropolis". According to the Duden and also in the text on the website mentioned, “Greek Orthodox” is written in lower case as an adjective, such as “Greek Orthodox Church” and “Protestant Church”.
↑ Announcement of the election of the Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Emmanuel Sfiatkos as Vicar Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany , June 23, 2020, accessed on June 25, 2020.

[1] In headings and in other places the spelling can be found as a proper name "Greek Orthodox Metropolis". According to the Duden and also in the text on the website mentioned, “Greek Orthodox” is written in lower case as an adjective, such as “Greek Orthodox Church” and “Protestant Church”.

[2] Announcement of the election of the Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Emmanuel Sfiatkos as Vicar Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany , June 23, 2020, accessed on June 25, 2020.