Parthenios Vardakas

Parthenios Vardakas ( Greek Παρθένιος Βαρδάκας , real name Periklis Περικλής, * October 1867 ; † February 25, 1933 ) was bishop from 1904 and from 1924-1933 the first metropolitan of the metropolitan area of ​​Kitros, Katerini and Platamon .

Life

Periklis Vardakas was of Aromanian origin and was born in Ioannina in the Epirus region in October 1867 . He studied theology in his hometown and in Athens and then worked for seven years at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . In 1904 he was sent to Katerini in the Kitros episcopate. There he pushed the building of churches and schools in his diocese; For example, he promoted the establishment of a Greek school in Katerini .

In addition to his diaconal and spiritual work, Parthenios supported the Greek nationalists during the Macedonian conflict 1903-1908 and in the First Balkan War . For example, he supported the rebel leader “Kapetan Matapas” (actually Michail Anagnostakis ). As a loyal supporter of the Patriarchate, he was active against the national movements of orthodox people who spoke other languages, especially those who spoke Romanian. In doing so, he incurred the wrath of the Ottoman rulers who demanded that he be transferred. He also escaped three attacks against him.

On October 16, 1912, on the occasion of the conquest of Katerini by Greece, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Ascension of Christ and commemorated the victims of the last battle in Kolokouri, including the officers Dimitrios Svoronos and Dimitrios Nikas. His records are a valuable source for the story of Pieria . Under him, Kitros became independent from the metropolis of Thessaloniki in 1924 and raised to the status of a metropolis.

Parthenios died of heart failure on February 25, 1933. The main street in the center of Katerini was named after him.

Works

• Description of nine years of Turkish rule in the vicinity of the Diocese of Kitros from 1903–1912. (Περιγραφή κυρίως εννέα ετών τουρκοκρατίας της περιφέρειας Επισκοπής Κίτρους από του 1903–1912), Athens 1918.

literature

• GA Raptis (Ράπτης Γ. Α.): Κατερίνης Οδώνυμα, έκδοση Δήμου Κατερίνης, Όλυμπος εκδοτική. Katerini 2003.
• Panagiotis Tzoumerkas: Ο Επίσκοπος Κίτρους Παρθένιος Βαρδάκας 1904–1933. Ο βίος και η δράση του: συμβολή στην επισκοπική ιστορία του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στην Μακεδονία , Διδακτορική διατριβή, Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης (ΑΠΘ) Σχολή Θεολογική, Τμήμα Ποιμαντικής και Κοινωνικής Θεολογίας, Diss, Thessaloniki 2004 (. Pdf online )

predecessor	Office	successor
	Metropolitan of Kitros, Katerini and Platamon 1924–1933	Konstantinos Koidakis