Christopher (Contogeorge) of Pentapolis
His Eminence the Most Reverend Christopher (Contogeorge) of Pentapolis was the Exarch for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt and all Africa in the United States of America from 1947 to 1950. He was one of the hierarchs that became involved with the American Orthodox Catholic Church during the 1930s.
Life
Christopher (Contogeorge) was born in Smyrna, Turkey in 1894. He was educated in Athens and became a priest at the age of 24. He served as a chaplain in the Greek Army during World War I. He arrived in the United States in 1926 and apparently served as priest in Lowell, Massachusetts and at St. Nicholas Greek Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On February 10, 1934, Archimandrite Christopher was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia by Bishop Sophronios (Beshara) of Los Angeles of the American Orthodox Church at the Church of Ss. Constantine and Helen in the Bronx, New York City. Bp. Sophronios was assisted by Metropolitan Theophan (Noli), head of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in exile in the United States.
On August 25, 1934, Bp. Christopher and Metr. Theophan (Noli) consecrated Arsenios (Saltas) at the Church of St. John the Baptist in New York City.
On November 3, 1935, Bp. Christopher, with Bishop Ambrosius of Aman, Jordan, consecrated Nicholas (Kedroff) as Archbishop of North America and the Aleutian Islands at the Russian Cathedral of St. Nicholas in New York City in accordance with instructions from the Holy Synod of the chismatic Living Church. Bishop Arsenios became an exarch of the Church of Alexandria in 1954.
In 1947, Abp. Christopher was named Metropolitan of Pentapolis and the Exarch in America of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Metr. Christopher reposed on August 30, 1950.
