Athenagoras I of Constantinople | |
|---|---|
| Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople | |
 Archbishop Athenagoras in 1936 | |
| Church | Church of Constantinople |
| Installed | 1 November 1948 |
| Term ended | 7 July 1972 |
| Predecessor | Maximus V |
| Successor | Demetrios |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Aristocles Matthew Spyrou 6 April 1886 (25 March) |
| Died | 7 July 1972(1972-07-07) (aged 86) |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Alma mater | Holy Trinity Theological School |
Athenagoras I of Constantinople (Greek:Αθηναγόρας Αʹ), bornAristocles Matthaiou Spyrou (Greek:Αριστοκλής Ματθαίου Σπύρου; 6 April 1886 (25 March) – 7 July 1972), wasGreek Orthodox Archbishop of North and South America from 1930 to 1948[1] and the 268thEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1948 to 1972.
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Athenagoras was born as Aristocles Matthew Spyrou on 6 April 1886 (25 March) in the village ofVasiliko, nearIoannina,Epirus (then in theOttoman Empire).[2] He has been described as having been ofAromanian,[3][4][5]Albanian,[6] orGreek descent.[2] Athenagoras was the son of Matthew N. Spyrou, a doctor, and Helen V. Mokoros.[2] Athenagoras devoted himself to religion at an early age because of the encouragement he received from his mother and a priest from his village.[2] After completing his secondary education in 1906, he entered theHoly Trinity Theological School atHalki, nearConstantinople, and wasordained a deacon in 1910.[2]
Upon graduating, he wastonsured amonk, given the name Athenagoras, and ordained to thediaconate. He served asarchdeacon of the Diocese of Pelagonia before becoming the secretary toArchbishopMeletius IV of Constantinople of Athens in 1919. While still a deacon, he was elected theMetropolis of Corfu in 1922 and straightway raised to the episcopacy.
Returning from a fact-finding trip to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America in 1930,Metropolitan Damaskinos recommended toPhotius II of Constantinople that he appoint Metropolitan Athenagoras to the position of Archbishop ofNorth and South America as the best person to bring harmony to the American diocese. The patriarch made the appointment on 30 August 1930.
When Archbishop Athenagoras assumed his new position on 24 February 1931, he was faced with the task of bringing unity and harmony to a diocese that was racked with dissension between Royalists and Republicans (Venizelists), who had virtually divided the country into separate dioceses. To correct that, he centralized the ecclesiastical administration in the archdiocese offices with all other bishops serving as auxiliaries, appointed to assist the archbishop, without dioceses and administrative rights of their own. He actively worked with his communities to establish harmony. He expanded the work of the clergy-laity congresses and founded theHoly Cross School of Theology.
Archbishop Athenagorasconsecrated theArchdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on New York City'sUpper East Side on 22 October 1933.[7] He called it: "The Cathedral of all of Hellenism in America".[7] In 1938, Athenagoras was naturalized as a United States citizen.[8][9]
On 1 November 1948, Athenagoras I was elected Patriarch of Constantinople at the age of 62.[9] In January 1949, he was honored to be flown in the personal airplane of the American presidentHarry Truman to Constantinople to assume his new position.[10] As Patriarch, he was actively involved with theWorld Council of Churches and improving relations with theCatholic Church and thePope.
He was hospitalized on 6 July 1972, for a broken hip, but died fromkidney failure inIstanbul the following day at the age of 86.[11] He was buried in the cemetery within the grounds of theChurch of Saint Mary of the Spring inBalıklı, Istanbul.
Athenagoras I's meeting withPope Paul VI in 1964 inJerusalem led to rescinding theexcommunications of 1054 which historically mark theGreat Schism, the schism between the churches of the East and West. This was a significant step towards restoring relations between Rome, Constantinople, and the other patriarchates of Eastern Orthodoxy. It produced theCatholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965, which was read out on 7 December 1965, simultaneously at a public meeting of theSecond Vatican Council in Rome and at a special ceremony in Constantinople.[12]
The declaration did not end the 1054 schism but rather showed a desire for reconciliation between the two churches and friendlier relations.Catholic–Eastern Orthodox relations did improve as now neither side was officially calling the other heretics, but it was not an agreement for "full communion" in which both sides would essentially accept the other entirely, nor did such a development come later.
Most Orthodox leaders were mildly positive and accepting toward the move, seeing the old excommunication as too sharp a measure. There was one who strongly objected: MetropolitanPhilaret Voznesensky of theRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia challenged the Patriarch's efforts at rapprochement in an open letter in 1965. He argued that no rapprochement was possible until the Catholic Church "renounces its new doctrines".[13]
Many national heroes referred to in national historiography are known as having been Aromanians. Examples in Greek history are [...] patriarch Athenagoras
Indeed, the list of examples of Aromanians in Greek history is quite impressive: [...] Athinagoras I (1886–1972, Patriarch from 1948 to 1972)
At Constantinople, he had another providential meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, of Aromanian origin, an eager supporter of the approaching of Orthodox Churches to the Church of Rome.
Among notable Albanians of the diaspora are Johan Francis Albani, Pope Clement XI (1649–1720); the late Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras I, and Agnes Gonzhe Bojaxkiu, better known as Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje,
| Eastern Orthodox Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1948 – 1972 | Succeeded by |
