Archbishop Demetrios of America

His Eminence Geron Demetrios
Elder Archbishop of America
Installed	September 18, 1999
Term ended	Incumbent
Predecessor	Spyridon
Orders
Consecration	September 17, 1967
Personal details
Birth name	Demetrios Trakatellis
Born	February 1, 1928 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nationality	Greek
Denomination	Greek Orthodox
Residence	New York, New York, USA
Parents	Georgia and Christos Trakatellis
Alma mater	University of Athens, Harvard University

Elder Archbishop Demetrios of America (born Demetrios Trakatellis; Greek: Δημήτριος Τρακατέλλης) is the current elder archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Biography

Demetrios was born in Thessaloniki, Greece on February 1, 1928 to Georgia and Christos Trakatellis. He attended the School of Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, graduating with distinction in 1950. He became a deacon in 1960 and was ordained as a priest in 1964. He moved to the United States in 1965, attending the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and obtaining his PhD in 1972. He later returned to the University of Athens, obtaining his Doctor of Theology degree in 1977. He served as auxiliary bishop to the Archbishop of Athens from 1967, and in 1968 declined to serve as metropolitan bishop of Attika and Megaris due to the political upheaval then taking place in Greece.^[1]

He was Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, from 1983 to 1993, and was a visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School in 1984–85 and 1988–89. He returned to Greece in 1993 to serve at the Archdiocese of Athens.^[1]

On September 18, 1999, Elder Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.^[2][3] The cathedral on New York City's Upper East Side serves as the national cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is the seat of the Archbishop.^[4][5]

On November 26, 2015, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced the elevation of the archdiocese to the rank of Gerontiki Eparchy (meaning an eparchy headed by a Geron/Elder hierarch) of the Ecumenical Throne in the person of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, who will henceforth be titled His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America.^[6]

Academy and Holy Synod

Demetrios was elected as a member of the Academy of Athens in November 2002 and was inducted on November 14, 2003. He was elected to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 19, 2004.^[1]

Archbishop Demetrios delivered invocations at the Democratic National Convention on August 27, 2008 and the Republican National Convention on September 4, 2008.^[7] He also delivered the benediction at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon on January 21, 2013.^[8][9]

Writings

Demetrios is the author of six books as well as hundreds of articles and essays published in various periodicals.

• Presence of the Holy Spirit (1984)
• Authority and Passion (1987)
• The Transcendent God of Eugnostos (1991)
• Christ, the Pre-existing God (1992)
• The Fathers Interpret (1996)
• A Call to Faith (2004)

Family

His brother, Antonios Trakatellis, is a New Democracy MEP for Greece.

References

1. "Official Biography of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
2. Nadine Brozan (September 19, 1999). "Orthodox Archbishop Enthroned in a Majestic Ceremony". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
3. Rubin, Cathy (September 27, 1999). "Greek Orthodox diocese's leaders to discuss future | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review". Archive.ocl.org. Orthodox Christian Laity. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
4. "Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
5. Thomas E. FitzGerald. The Orthodox Church: Student Edition. Books.google.com. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
6. "Archbishop Demetrios of America Receives the High Title of "Geron"". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. November 26, 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
8. "Archbishop Demetrios Offered Benediction at Presidential Inaugural Luncheon". Goarch.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
9. "Archbishop Demetrios delivers benediction at Inauguration Luncheon". C-spanvideo.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.

External links

• Official website
• Archbishop Demetrios of America playlist on YouTube
• "'ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΓΕΡΩΝ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ' ΑΠΟ ΣΗΜΕΡΑ Ο ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΜΕ ΑΠΟΦΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ"
• Appearances on C-SPAN