Archbishop of America
Encyclopedia
The Archdiocese of America, better known as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
, is a jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church
under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
. It was formally constituted in 1922 and has had seven incumbents. The Archdiocese currently covers the United States
and one parish in the Bahamas, and is mostly Greek-American in composition and culture.
The following individuals have held the office of Archbishop of America:
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The Diocese of the Aleutians and North America was a pan-ethnic and missionary jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church
under the Russian Orthodox Church
from 1900 to 1922. (Before this period it was known as the "Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska" from 1870 to 1900; before that, it was part of the Diocese of Kamchatka, Russia, from 1840 to 1870, and before that, of the Diocese of Irkutsk, Russia. From the 1920s until 1970 it was the "Metropolia of All America and Canada" [a/k/a the "Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America"], and since 1970 it has also been known as "The Orthodox Church in America
," covering the United States, Canada, Mexico, and two parishes in Australia.) From 1905 to 1922, its incumbents held the title of Archbishop:
Since 1922 its incumbents and primates have held the title of Metropolitan of All America and Canada
. Today it is majority-Russian in ecclesiastical heritage, but with significant Romanian, Albanian, Bulgarian, and Mexican (in Mexico) jurisdictions and at least one Arab parish - all largely English- (or Spanish-)speaking - as well as increasing numbers of transfers from other Orthodox jurisdictions, and converts to Orthodoxy.
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The Russian Exarchate of North America was another jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church under its Patriarchate of Moscow from 1933 to 1970. While most of its bishops were titled Metropolitans of varying Sees, the final one was
Moscow was permitted to replace this Exarchate, and a diocese in Canada, with a non-diocesan patriarchal vicariate in each country, the United States and Canada, when it and the Metropolia were reconciled, and Moscow recognized the Metropolia's autocephaly, in 1970. These vicariates, the "Russian Orthodox Church in the USA" and in Canada, are commonly referred to as the "Patriarchal Parishes."
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Demetrios of America.-About the Archdiocese:...
, is a jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. It was formally constituted in 1922 and has had seven incumbents. The Archdiocese currently covers the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and one parish in the Bahamas, and is mostly Greek-American in composition and culture.
The following individuals have held the office of Archbishop of America:
- Alexander (Demoglou), Archbishop of America (1922–1930)
- Athenagoras, Archbishop of AmericaPatriarch Athenagoras I of ConstantinopleEcumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I , born Aristocles Spyrou was the 268th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1948 to 1972.-Life:...
(1931–1948) - Timotheos, Archbishop of AmericaTimotheos EvangelinidisTimotheos Evangelinidis was a Greek Orthodox bishop who presided over the Metropolis of Rhodes from 1947 to 1949 and the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand from 1931 to 1947. Evangelinidis was born in 1880, on the island of Mytilene , Greece....
(Elected in 1949) - Michael, Archbishop of America (1949–1958)
- Iakovos, Archbishop of AmericaIakovos, Archbishop of AmericaArchbishop Iakovos , born Demetrios Koukouzis was the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America from 1959 until his resignation in 1996...
(1959–1996) - Spyridon, Archbishop of AmericaArchbishop Spyridon of AmericaArchbishop Spyridon of America is a retired Greek Orthodox bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who was the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America from July 1996 to August 1999...
(1996–1999) - Demetrios, Archbishop of AmericaDemetrios, Archbishop of AmericaArchbishop Demetrios of America is the current archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Overview:...
(1999 to present)
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The Diocese of the Aleutians and North America was a pan-ethnic and missionary jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
under the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
from 1900 to 1922. (Before this period it was known as the "Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska" from 1870 to 1900; before that, it was part of the Diocese of Kamchatka, Russia, from 1840 to 1870, and before that, of the Diocese of Irkutsk, Russia. From the 1920s until 1970 it was the "Metropolia of All America and Canada" [a/k/a the "Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America"], and since 1970 it has also been known as "The Orthodox Church in America
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
," covering the United States, Canada, Mexico, and two parishes in Australia.) From 1905 to 1922, its incumbents held the title of Archbishop:
- Saint TikhonTikhon of MoscowSaint Tikhon of Moscow , born Vasily Ivanovich Bellavin , was the 11th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia of the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of the Soviet Union, 1917 through 1925.-Early life:...
, Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska, 1898-1900, Bishop of the Aleutians and North America, 1900-1905, Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America, 1905-1907. - Platon, Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America, 1907-1914.
- Evdokim, Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America, 1914-1918.
- Alexander (Nemolovsky), Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America, 1919-1922.
Since 1922 its incumbents and primates have held the title of Metropolitan of All America and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Today it is majority-Russian in ecclesiastical heritage, but with significant Romanian, Albanian, Bulgarian, and Mexican (in Mexico) jurisdictions and at least one Arab parish - all largely English- (or Spanish-)speaking - as well as increasing numbers of transfers from other Orthodox jurisdictions, and converts to Orthodoxy.
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The Russian Exarchate of North America was another jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church under its Patriarchate of Moscow from 1933 to 1970. While most of its bishops were titled Metropolitans of varying Sees, the final one was
- Jonathan, Archbishop of New York and the Aleutians, 1967-1970.
Moscow was permitted to replace this Exarchate, and a diocese in Canada, with a non-diocesan patriarchal vicariate in each country, the United States and Canada, when it and the Metropolia were reconciled, and Moscow recognized the Metropolia's autocephaly, in 1970. These vicariates, the "Russian Orthodox Church in the USA" and in Canada, are commonly referred to as the "Patriarchal Parishes."
See also
- List of Orthodox jurisdictions in North America
- Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in AmericaStanding Conference of Orthodox Bishops in AmericaThe Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas has been an Eastern Orthodox organization designed to help cooperation among the canonical Orthodox Christian jurisdictions to be found in the Americas...
- Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America