Gennadios (Stantzios) of Botswana

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His Grace Gennadios (Stantzios) of Botswana is the Bishop of the Diocese of Botswana under the jurisdiction of the Church of Alexandria, having initially led the new diocese as a titular bishop 2010. In addition to Greek, he speaks English and Italian.

Life

Stylianos Stantzios was born of Greek parents in 1969 in Esslingen, Germany. After completing his secondary education, Stylianos enrolled in the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Greece. Later, he continued his post graduate education at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, a missionary oriented academic institution.

He was tonsured a monk, with the name Gennadios, by Metropolitan Spyridon of Langada and resided at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Langada for four years. In 1990, Mnk. Gennadios was ordained a deacon. In 1996, Dcn. Gennadios was ordained a priest and raised to the dignity of archimandrite on the same day by Metr. Prokopios (Tsakoumakas) of Philippoi, Neapolis and Thasos (Kavala). Fr. Gennadios served the Metropolis of Philippoi as archdeacon and private secretary to Metr. Prokopios and as Preacher, and parish priest of the Cathedral of St. Paul. He also served in other executive positions of the local Church of Philippoi including responsibilities for Youth and Catechetical Schools, Press, and Public Relations of the metropolis.

After twelve years serving in the Metropolis of Philippoi, he was assigned to the Metropolis of Buenos Aires in Argentina where he served in the Secretariat of the Metropolis. Early in 2004, Fr. Gennadios transferred to the Church of Alexandria under the jurisdiction of Patriarch Petros VII of Alexandria to a position in Port Elizabeth in the Archdiocese of the Cape of Good Hope. Later he received an assignment in the Patriarchal Registry Office in Alexandria and a subsequent assignment as the temporary chancellor of the Holy Synod following the crash in which Patr. Petros and many of his staff were killed on September 11, 2004. After the election of Archbishop Theodoros as Patriarch, Fr. Gennadios was appointed chancellor of the Holy Synod and Dean of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Alexandria.

On November 1, 2006, Fr. Gennadios was elected Bishop of Nilopolis by the Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria. He was consecrated by Patr. Theodoros on November 26 in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Alexandria. In addition to his duties as bishop, he continued as chancellor of the Holy Synod. In 2010, Bishop Gennadios was tasked with the organization and administration of the Diocese of Botswana, a diocese that was established in October 2010. The diocese was officially recognized by the Botswana government in July 2011. In addition to building a missionary religious presence in the country, Bp. Gennadios directed, as his top priority, the building of the first Orthodox cathedral in Botswana.

Bp. Gennadios was enthroned as the first Bishop of Botswana on June 2, 2012 by Pope Theodoros II of Alexandria in the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Gaborone, Botswana. Patr. Theodoros was assisted by Archbishop Makarios of Kenya and Metropolitan George of Accra.

Succession box:
Gennadios (Stantzios) of Botswana
Preceded by:
Bishop of Nilopolis
(titular)

2010 - 2012
Succeeded by:
Preceded by:
Bishop of Botswana
2012 - Present
Succeeded by:
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Sources

Holy Diocese of Botswama]