Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis)

Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) (1912-1979)

Theodore may be spelt Theodoros.

Early life of Theodore Kokkinakis

Theodore Kokkinakis was born in 1912 on the island of Patmos (one of the Dodecanese Islands) near Turkey. It is now part of Greece.

Theodore received his primary and secondary education on the island. Because the Dodecanese Islands belong to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, he was raised in the Orthodox Christian Faith in his homeland.

Higher education, 1932

In 1932, Theodore Kokkinakis entered the Theological School of Halki. Halki (also known as Heybeliada Island) is one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmora, about 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Istanbul.

In 1934, Theodore graduated from the Theological School of Halki. The title of his thesis was "The Anthropology of Saint Gregory of Nyssa".

Move to USA ; further studies, 1936

In 1936, Theodore travelled to the USA and he undertook further studies at the General Theological Seminary, Columbia University, in New York, Columbia University New York, and in Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Diaconal ordination, 1934

Theodore Kokkinakis was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Emilianos of Miletus, Greece.

Diaconal service

Deacon Theodore Kokkinakis served as a Deacon in the Patriarchate of Alexandria from 1934 to 1935.

Deacon Theodore was then transferred, and he was assigned to service in the Archdiocese of North and South America from 1935 to 1940.

Presbyteral ordination, 1940

In 1940, Deacon Theodore Kokkinakis was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou). At that time, he was given the name Athenagoras.

Pastoral service

Priest Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was assigned first to the Church of Saint Andrew in Chicago, Illinois.

The parishioners benefitted from Father Athenagoras' pastorate. They recognised that he was a profound scholar and an able administrator. The parish began to grow significantly under his leadership. During this time, the mortgage of the church was retired.

Father Kokkinakis conceived the idea of a new building complex to better serve the needs of the rapidly expanding parish. He was instrumental in persuading the congregation to acquire the property on Sheridan and Hollywood as the site of the new Temple. However, he was not able to stay long enough to complete the project. Nevertheless, the project was pursued by his successors, and the Temple was constructed in due course.

In 1945, Priest Athenagoras Kokkinakis was assigned to the Church of Saint Demetrios in Astoria, New York. While there, he served as editor of the “Greek Orthodox Observer”, the archdiocesan magazine.

Episcopal ordination, 1950

On 14 September, 1950, Priest Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was chosen by the Holy Synod of Constantinople to be a bishop. His ordination to the Holy Episcopate took place that year at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, led by Archbishop Michael (Konstantinides) of North and South America, along with Bishop Germanos (Polyzoides) of Nyssa, Bishop Gerasimos of Chicago and Bishop Orestes (Chornock) of the American Carpatho-Russian Diocese. He was given the title "Bishop of Eleia" (in Greece).

Bishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis)

Episcopal service

Bishop Athenagoras was initially assigned to oversee the western portion of the USA from the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco, California.

From 1950 to 1955, Bishop Athenagoras served as Hierarchical Commissioner in Los Angeles, California.

In 1954, Bishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was transferred to Boston, Massachusetts, and he was given the pastoral responsibility for the New England region. At the same time, he was appointed to be the Dean of Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. He resigned the deanship in 1959.

From 1955 to 1960, Bishop Athenagoras served as Hierarchical Commissioner in Boston.

Service in Canada, 1960

On 6 September, 1960, Bishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan.

At the same time, his title was adjusted to be "Titular Metropolitan of Elaia". (Elaia was a city near Smirna, Anatolia.)

At that time, he was assigned by Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou) to oversee the parishes in Canada that belonged to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. He was the first bishop to be assigned for Canada, and he lived in Toronto, Ontario. It is probable that Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto served as his cathedral.

In 1961, during the time of his archpastoral supervision, he blessed the purchase of a pre-existing building and the opening of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto (under the Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto).

As a bishop of the Archdiocese of the Americas, he attended the Faith and Order North American Research Conference in Oberlin, Ohio, and he delivered the address on behalf of Orthodox Christian delegates.

From 1960 to 1963, Metropolitan Athenagoras served as Hierarchical Commissioner in Canada.

On 10 December, 1963, Metropolitan Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was elected to become Metropolitan of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Transfer to the United Kingdom, 1963

On 10 December, 1963, Metropolitan Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was transferred to the United Kingdom, according to the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He became then the Metropolitan of the Diocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. This metropolitical responsibility included at that time service as Exarch for all the parishes of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Western Europe, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Malta.

Soon after his arrival in London, England, he visited the Vatican in Italy, where he participated in negotiations about the details of a pending meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou) of Constantinople.

As soon as Metropolitan Athenagoras arrived in London, England, he took up the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church in Britain. His first concern was to acquaint the leaders of the parishes with the fact that the Archbishop's Trust had been created. This subsequently undertook the finding and purchase of an appropriate building for the accommodation of the archdiocesan offices. He asked all the economically well-off people to help the work of the Church, and indeed they participated in the acquisition of the building subsequently named "Thyateira House", at 5 Craven Hill, London W2 3EN (Ecumenical Patriarchate's Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain). He then asked the clergy to include office staff and specifically a secretary.

Archimandrite Gregory (Theocarous) recommended N Poulio to be the secretary. His recruitment was in October, 1964. From that date on, there was a deluge of circulars sent to everyone who could help the Church. These helpers worked with the scant means available at that time in the Office.

Patience, prayer and labour accomplish much

The metropolitan worked assiduously. His vision was to create Temples, and parish centres around the Temples, in every region where there was a Greek population ; and to this work, he dedicated every day.

Metropolitan Athenagoras worked hard, and his care for everything was unstoppable. Wherever an ecclesiastical or parochial event took place, he, with his presence, established the foundations of the Church and of Hellenism in that community. Under the term of service of Metropolitan Athenagoras, the development of the archdiocese was impressive.

In 1967, the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou), who was also the spiritual father of Metropolitan Athenagoros, visited Great Britain. The patriarch was very favourably impressed with the work that Metropolitan Athenagoras had done in only a few years.

In early 1968, the see was elevated to the dignity of an archdiocese. Accordingly, on 24 February, 1968, Metropolitan Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

He then became the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain. At the same time, as new dioceses in Western Europe were established (France, Germany, Austria), the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain was redefined to encompass only the British Isles and Malta.

Inter-Christian activities

Archbishop Athenagoras was a leading figure in the so-called “ecumenical movement”. He represented the Ecumenical Patriarchate at conferences organised under the auspices of the World Council of Churches. Derivative of this, as a bishop at that time of the Archdiocese of North and South America, he participated in the North American Faith and Order Study Conference in Oberlin, Ohio, and he delivered a key address on behalf of the Orthodox delegates. He was president of the 4th Pan-Orthodox Conference in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1967.

He served as a member of the Subcommittee of the Mixed Commission on Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue. He also represented the Patriarchate of Constantinople in conferences held under the auspices of the World Council of Churches.

The modernisation and the development of the archdiocese included a series of reforms concerning the relationship of the archdiocese with the other institutions of the Greek and Cypriot Diaspora in Great Britain, namely the organisation of the educational projects of its communities, the publication of journals ("Orthodox Herald", the official pastoral publication), the election of new, efficient bishops, and the successful handling of the "deluge" of refugees that arrived as a consequence of the invasion of Cyprus by the Turkish Army in 1974.

Sadly, in 1977-1978 there was discovered and diagnosed cancer of the large intestine. He underwent surgery, but in 1979 the cancer metastasised and overtook him. His colon had therefore been totally removed, as a consequence of which he had become physically exhausted.

Repose, 1979

On 9 September, 1979, Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) reposed in Christ as a result of a heart attack, in Great Britain.

After the Services of the Burial of a Hierarch, his body was probably interred in Great Britain.

— Bishop of Eleia (San Francisco) (Ecumenical Patriarchate) 1950-1954. Preceded by : Bishop Eirinaios (Tsourounakis). Succeeded by : Bishop Demetrios (Makris).

— Bishop of Eleia (Boston) 1954-1960. Succeeded by : Bishop Meletios Tripodakis, of Christianoupolis.

— Metropolitan of Eleia (Toronto, Canada) 1960-1963. Succeeded by : Bishop Timotheos (Haloftis) of Rodostolon.

— Metropolitan (1963-1967), then Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain 1968-1979. Preceded by : Archbishop Athenagoras (Kavadas). Succeeded by : Archbishop Methodios (Fouyias).

Reflections

The life and work accomplished by Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) during his service in Great Britain was essential and important for the creation of the Temples and parish centres of Hellenism for those who for many decades lived and worked in this country.

Archbishop Athenagoras was of a keen mind, and he was knowledgeable beyond the capability of most other bishops. Paper and pencil were used only when he was going to write something deeply theological. Everything was dictated by heart, which forced the secretary to learn shorthand. His secretary saw the great intelligence of the archbishop. The archbishop was an organised and organisational man. The archdiocese that he had undertaken to lead had many shortcomings. At that time, and since that time, some could discern the activity of the Hand of God, particularly since those who worked with him laboured to create the office of the archdiocese that enveloped and accomplished everything without the help that the computer now offers.

Writings

• “Spoken Greek: A simplified Grammar, with Exercises, Reading and Vocabularies” (Madison, WI : Cosmos Greek-American Printing Company, 1945)

• “Food for Redemption: An Exposition of the eucharistic Doctrine and Service of the Orthodox Church” (Madison, WI : Cosmos Greek-American Printing Company, 1947)

• “In the Realm of Redemption: An Exposition of the Greek Orthodox Doctrine on the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Confession and Holy Unction” (Madison, WI : Cosmos Greek-American Printing Company, 1948)

• “Christian Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism” (New York : Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, 1952)

• “Christian Orthodoxy in the Home” (San Francisco, CA : Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, Western States Diocese, GOYA Chapter, 1953)

• “The Future of our Church in America (G.O.Y.A. series)) (San Francisco, CA : Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, Western States Diocese, GOYA Chapter, 1954)

• “An important Communication on the Schism” (Brookline, MA : Greek Orthodox Theological Institute, 1955)

• “Contemporary Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Communications: Correspondence in English and Greek of Bishop Athenagoras Kokkinakis and J. Francis Cardinal McIntyre” (Fourth Diocese, Greek Orthodox Ministerial Association, 1957)

• “Parents and Priests as Servants of Redemption” (New York : Morehouse-Gorham Company, 1958)

• “Christ and the Intellectuals” (Montreal : Orthodoxia Canadian Greek Religious Press, 1962)

• “In the USA at the American Faith and Order Study Conference, Oberlin, Ohio, 3-10 September, 1967”

• “An interorthodox theological Debate” (Brookline, MA : Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1973). ISBN 0716402750.

• “The Thyateira Confession : The Faith and Prayer of Orthodox Christians” (Brookline, MA : Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1975). ISBN 071640375.

References

Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

DvaGrada biography

markmarkou web-site biography

Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain biography

Additional information :

Dowling, T E, "Hellenism in England : a short History of the Greek People in this Country"

New York Times obituary

Orthodoxwiki article about the Toronto, Canada, diocese

Archdiocese of Thyateira history

Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America web-site

Wikipedia article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Orthodoxwiki article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou)

Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois

Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church of Astoria, New York

Canadian Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople

Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City

The obituary of Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) was published in the New York Times on 11 September, 1979.

USA naturalisation record, 1954

Departed Bishops in/of Canada

Canadian Orthodox Church History Project, no. 43, pp. 154-155.