Stylianos Harkianakis

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His Eminence

Stylianos Harkianakis
Archbishop Ezekiel
SuccessorMakarios Griniezakis
Personal details
Born
Stylianos Harkianakis

(1935-12-29)29 December 1935
Died25 March 2019(2019-03-25) (aged 83)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
BuriedRookwood Cemetery
NationalityGreek
DenominationOrthodox Christian
Alma materUniversity of Bonn

Stylianos Harkianakis (

theologian specialising in ecclesiology
and also an award-winning poet.

Overview

Stylianos Harkianakis was born in

Theological School of Halki on the island of Halki and graduated in 1958. He was ordained a deacon in 1957 and a priest in 1958. He completed postgraduate studies in systematic theology and the philosophy of religion at the University of Bonn in West Germany from 1958 to 1966. His lecturers included Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI
. He wrote his thesis on the concept that the Orthodox Church possessed infallibility when it acted together in conciliarity (e.g. the Ecumenical Councils). At that time, the idea of infallibility was thought to be an exclusively Roman Catholic idea, entirely alien to the Orthodox Church.

In 1965, whilst still completing his postgraduate studies, Harkianakis was appointed Professor of Theology at the

University of Thessaloniki
.

In 1970, Harkianakis was elected the Titular Metropolitan of Militoupolis (whilst remaining in the Holy Monastery of Vlatadon) as exarch in matters concerning Northern Greece and Mount Athos.[2]

Archbishop of Australia

On 3 February 1975, Harkianakis was elected

Archbishop of Australia and Exarch of Oceania. He arrived in Sydney on 15 April and was enthroned on 26 April (Saturday of Lazarus). In this role, he engaged in many dialogues between Orthodoxy and other Christian groups, most prominently as co-chairman of the theological dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church
, but also as co-chairman of the dialogue with the Anglican churches.

Harkianakis taught Orthodox theology and spirituality at

Sydney University
from 1975. In 1986 he became the inaugural dean of St Andrew's Theological College where he also served as Lecturer in Systematic Theology.

Harkianakis was the plaintiff in a defamation suit against journalist Theo Skalkos and a contempt case for articles published by Skalkos which were said to amount to public vilification to deter Harkianakis from continuing to bring defamation suits.[3]

Harkianakis died following a lengthy illness in Sydney on 25 March 2019, on the Holy Day of the Annunciation of the Theotokos.[4][5]

Awards

In 1973, Harkianakis was awarded the International Award Gottfried von Herder. A noted poet with an extensive bibliography, he was given the Award for Poetry from the

Lublin University, Poland. One of his poems, "After Ephialtes", was set to music by Costas Tsicaderis
.

References

  1. ^ "His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos | St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College". www.sagotc.edu.au. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  2. ^ "Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia - Archbishop Stylianos". Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  3. ^ Harkiankis v Skalkos (1997) 42 NSWLR 22
  4. ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (25 March 2019). "Archbishop Stylianos of Australia Passes Away at 84". Greek Reporter Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia Stylianos Harkianakis passes away aged 83". Greek City Times. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.

Bibliography

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by
Archbishop Ezekiel
Archbishop of Australia
1975–2019
Succeeded by
Archbishop Makarios