Gregorios Theocharous

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Greek Orthodox
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Gregorios Theocharous of

Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain[1] under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.[2] He was elected Archbishop by the Sacred and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 16 April 1988. He resigned on 12 June 2019 for health reasons and has been succeeded by Nikitas Loulias.[3] He died on 20 November 2019.[4] His funeral took place on 5 December 2019 at St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church, Wood Green
.

Early life

Gregorios was born in the Cypriot village of

Asia-Minor. On his 13th birthday (October 28, 1941) he heard on the only radio of the village that Greece had joined the war by refusing to allow Axis troops to enter its territory.[5] His mother died in 1961, one year after Cyprus gained independence from Britain.[6]

In Famagusta & Education

He went to Varosha, Famagusta aged 18 and he worked as a shoemaker in his brother-in-law's shop. At the age of 20, he decided to attend a secondary school; he enrolled in 1949 at the Higher Commercial School of the town of Lefkoniko which, at that time, had only five classes. He was accepted into the second-year class. In 1951, he transferred to the Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia. He graduated from the Pancyprian Gymnasium in 1954 and went to Athens to study at the Theological School.

Clerical career

The courtyard of Stavrovouni Monastery in Cyprus where Archbishop Gregorios entered the monastic life

In 1951, he became a monk at

ordained a deacon on Sunday of the Pentecost at the Church of Ayios Savvas, Nicosia (St. Savva) by the late Archbishop Makarios III.[7]

In London

He arrived in London in April 1959 and was appointed to the

Archbishop of Thyateira, Athenagoras Kavada (Archbishop 1951–1963), on 26 April of the same year. In 1964 he was appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Thyateira.

All Saints Cathedral Camden Town, where Gregorios first served whilst he was a priest in London and where he was ordained Bishop of Troaeon

He stated during his life that he never even thought that he would become a

Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. He was ordained by Archbishop of Thyateira Athenagoras Kokkinakis on Palm Sunday (11 April 1971) at All Saints Cathedral, Camden Town[8]

Election and Enthronement as Archbishop

On 16 April 1988 he was unanimously elected by the Sacred and

Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain and his enthronement took place at Saint Sophia Cathedral[9]
in London. He served the Greek Orthodox community of Great Britain for 31 years.

References

  1. ^ "Home". Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  2. ^ "Patriarchate of Constantinople". Patriarchate of Constantinople. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  3. ^ communications (2019-06-17). "Metropolitan Nikitas Named Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain". Graduate Theological Union. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  4. ^ "Obituary: His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  5. ^ "World War II: Battle of Greece". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  6. ^ "The EOKA struggle: what was it all for? | Cyprus Mail". cyprus-mail.com/. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  7. ^ "Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus". www.ahistoryofgreece.com. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  8. ^ "All Saints Greek Orthodox Cathedral". All Saints Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  9. ^ "Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom (Hagia Sophia)". www.stsophia.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain
1988 – 2019 		Succeeded by
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