Seraphim of Athens

His Beatitude

Seraphim
His Beatitude; Seraphim
Archbishop of Athens
Installed	13 January 1974
Term ended	10 April 1998
Predecessor	Ieronymos I
Successor	Christodoulos
Personal details
Born	Vissarion Tikas; 26 October 1913; Karditsa, Greece
Died	10 April 1998 (aged 84); Athens, Greece

Seraphim (Greek, Σεραφείμ) born Vissarion Tikas (Greek, Βησσαρίων Τίκας) (26 October 1913 – 10 April 1998) was Archbishop of Athens and All Greece from 1974 to 1998.

Biography

He was born in the village of Artesiano near Karditsa, Greece in 1913. Archbishop Seraphim of Athens enrolled in the Theological School of the University of Athens in 1936 and graduated in 1940. During his second year (1938), he became a monk in the Pendeli Monastery.

Seraphim of Athens was ordained a deacon by the then Metropolitan Bishop of Corinth and by Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens, and served at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Neo Iraklio.

In 1942 he was ordained a priest and an archimandrite, also by Archbishop Damaskinos and served as parish priest at the Church of St Luke in Patisia. During the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, he joined the ranks of EDES under general Napoleon Zervas.^[1]

He served as secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, and in 1949, was elected Metropolitan Bishop of Arta and in 1958 was transferred to Ioannina.

Archbishop Seraphim of Athens was elected Archbishop of Athens and All Greece on January 13, 1974, succeeding Archbishop Ieronymos I.

As prelate of the Church of Greece, he visited the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch, Moscow, Sofia and Belgrade.

During his 24 years as church leader he swore in six Presidents of Greece and numerous Prime Ministers.

He died in Athens on April 10, 1998. The government declared four days of national mourning.^[2]

References

^ "Obituary: Archbishop Seraphim of Athens and All Greece". The Independent. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
^ Τριήμερο εθνικό πένθος: Τι είναι και τι προβλέπει - Πότε κηρύσσεται

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Ieronymos I	Archbishop of Athens and All Greece 1974 – 1998	Succeeded by Christodoulos

[1] "Obituary: Archbishop Seraphim of Athens and All Greece". The Independent. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2021-02-01.

[2] Τριήμερο εθνικό πένθος: Τι είναι και τι προβλέπει - Πότε κηρύσσεται

[1]

[2]

v t e Bishops and Archbishops of Athens
Bishops of Athens	Hierotheos the Thesmothete Dionysius the Areopagite Narcissus Publius Quadratus Leonidas Olympius Pistus Clematius Modestus Athanasius I Anatolius John I John II Contias Theocharistus Marinus John III
Metropolitans of Athens	Gregorius I Adamantius John IV Theodosius Hypatius Demetrius I Germanus I Demetrius II Gabriel I Gregorius II Cosmas Nicetas I Sabbas I Anastasius Sabbas II George I Nicetas II Constantine Philip Theodegius Michael I Leo I Leo II John V Nicetas III Nicephorus Gerasimus George II Bourtzes Nicholas Hagiotheodorites Michael II Theophylactus George III George IV Michael Choniates Meletius I^§ Elias^§ Neophytus I^§ Anthimus I^§ Nicodemus^§ Dorotheus I of Athens Macarius I Gerbasius Phantinus Theodorus Isidore Dorotheus II Anthimus II Neophytus II Laurentius Callistus Sophronius I Nicanor Theophanes I Neophytus III Samuel Nathanael Anthimus III Cyril I Metrophanes Theophanes II Sophronius II Daniel Anthimus IV Jacob I Athanasius II Macarius II Anthimus V Cyril II Meletius II Jacob II Zacharias Anthimus VI Bartholomew Neophytus IV Bartholomew Gabriel II Benedict Athanasius III Benedict Athanasius III Gregorius III Dionysius II Gregory IV Anthimus VII Neophytus V Michael IV Theophilus Anthonius of Athens Procopius I Germanus II Procopius II Theocletus I of Athens Meletius III Theocletus I
Archbishops of Athens and All Greece	Chrysostomos I Damaskinos Chrysanthus Damaskinos Spyridon Dorotheus III Theocletus II Jacob III Chrysostomos II Ieronymos I Seraphim Christodoulos Ieronymos II
^§: Titular due to the Latin rule over Athens

Authority control databases
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