Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Santiago and All Chile
The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Santiago and All Chile is a Metropolia of The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch with jurisdiction over all the Republic of Chile. Its ruling hierarch is Metropolitan Archbishop Sergios (Abad).
History
The migration of Christian Arabs from Lebanon, Palestine and Syria to different parts of the Americas during the late nineteenth Century and early twentieth century brought the Orthodox Faith to Chile.
In 1910, the first Orthodox priest arrives in Chile from Syria. On October 24, 1917, St. George Cathedral in Santiago was inaugurated as the first Orthodox church in Chile.
In 1978, His Beatitude Elias IV, Patriarch of Antioch visits Chile with a delegation of bishops.
In 1984, Chile receives the visit of His Beatitude Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and a delegation of Orthodox bishops.
In 1996, after being a Patriarchal Vicariate since 1951, the Orthodox Church in Chile was raised to the status of a Metropolis. His Eminence, the Most Reverend Sergios (Abad) was elected its first Metropolitan Archbishop.
Current situation
The Archdiocese now has six parishes, which are served by seven priests, four of whom have a degree in Theology. Services are conducted in Spanish, since most of the people that attend the church are Chilean citizens despite their Arab ancestry. There is also an increasing number of non-Arab Chileans who are joining Orthodoxy.
