View source for Christophoros (Rakintzakis) of Andida

His Grace Bishop '''Christophoros (Rakintzakis)''' (H.B.A., B.Div., B.Ed., M.A.) is a [[titular bishop]] of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] serving in Canada within the [[Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto|Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)]].

==Life==
His Grace Bishop Christophoros of Andida was born in Athens. He is a Graduate of the Theological and Philosophical School of Athens. A recipient of the Greek State Scholarship award, he received His Master of Arts degree from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. He also served a two-year term as a reserve artillery officer in the Hellenic Army. 

In Greece he served in the Public Education system as a Middle School Principal, High School Principal, and Superintendent of Secondary Education of the Province of Vyoteia ([[w:Boeotia Prefecture|Boeotia Prefecture]]). He was then appointed to the ''Office of Educational Affairs'' at the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto. 

From September 1997 to June 1999 the Very Rev. [[Archimandrite]] Christophoros Rakintzakis served as the parish priest at [http://www.stgeorgestoronto.org/ Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church], founded in 1909 as the first Orthodox community to be established in the City of Toronto.

He later served as the Dean of the [[Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (Toronto, Ontario)|Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy]] from its founding in 1998, until 2006. 

In 1999 upon the recommendation of His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop [[Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto]], the Sacred and [[Holy Synod of Constantinople|Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate]] elected the Very Rev. Christophoros Rakintzakis as [[Titular bishop|titular]] Bishop of Andida, which was a former Diocese of the Metropolis of [[w:Perga|Pergis]] in Asia Minor.<ref group="note">Andida - (now Zivint or Bozova, near the [[w:Korkuteli|Korkuteli]] district, of Antalya Province, in Turkey), a suffragan see of [[w:Perga|Perge]] in the province of [[w:Pamphylia|Pamphylia Secunda]] in Asia Minor, within the Patriarchate of Constantinople.<br>(Robert F. Taft, S.J.. ''"The Decline of Communion in Byzantium."'' In: Sharon E. Gerstel (Ed.). '''Thresholds of the sacred: architectural, art historical, liturgical, and theological perspectives on religious screens, East and West'''. Dumbarton Oaks, 2006. p.46.)</ref><ref group="note">On a point of interest, the late 11th century liturgical text known as the ''' ''Protheoria'' ''' was authored by Nicholas and Theodore of Andida.</ref> He was elected Auxiliary Bishop on [[June 10]], 1999 and was ordained as Bishop on [[June 26]], 1999. His Grace Bishop Christophoros was [[Consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop at the [http://www.stnicholas-goc.com/home.html Church of St. Nicholas] in Scarborough, in a ceremony full of Byzantine majesty and beauty. Along with His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios, who presided at the consecration, the other ordaining Hierarchs who participated in the Consecration Liturgy were: Metropolitan [[Anthony (Gergiannakis) of San Francisco|Anthony  (Gergiannakis)]] of Dardanellion and San Francisco; Metropolitan [[Maximos (Aghiorgoussis) of Pittsburgh|Maximos  (Aghiorgoussis)]] of Ainos and Pittsburgh; Bishop [[Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Toronto|Yurij (Kalistchuk)]] of the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada|Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada]] and Bishop [[Vasilios of Ammochostos|Vasileios (Karayannis)]] of Trimythountos from the [[Church of Cyprus]]. 

His Grace represented His All Holiness Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] at the Extraordinary Sobor of the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada]] held from August 22-24 2008 in Saskatoon.<ref group="note">The Extraordinary Sobor's purpose was to elect two new bishops for the Church and pass a new set of bylaws, as well as to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the [[UOCC]] in Saskatoon. The Sobor elected Bishops [[Hilarion (Rudnyk) of Edmonton|Ilarion (Rudnyk)]] to become the Bishop of Edmonton, and [[Andriy (Peshko) of Krateia|Andriy (Peshko)]] to become the Bishop of Saskatoon. This recreated a new Council of Bishops of the UOCC. Bishop Ilarion's election was ratified in October 2008, by the [[Holy Synod of Constantinople|Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate]], and he was enthroned by his Eminence Metropolitan [[John (Stinka) of Winnipeg|John (Stinka)]] on Sunday, October 26, 2008.</ref>

Bishop Christophoros also took part at the inaugural meeting of the [[Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America]] from May 26-28, 2010, representing the [[Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto|Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)]].

His Grace is much loved and respected, especially within the Orthodox community of Toronto. His [[Name day]] is on [[May 9]].  

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==Notes==
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==Sources==
* [[Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto|Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)]]. [http://www.gometropolis.org/the-metropolis/his-grace-bishop-christoforos/ Bishop Christoforos of Andida]. 
* Orthodox Research Institute. [http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/hierarchs/constantinople/canada/current/bio_christophoros_ratkinzakis_andidon.htm Bishop Christophoros of Andidon].
* The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. [http://www.patriarchate.org/patriarchate/hierarchy-of-the-throne/assistant-bishops/christophoros-of-andida Christophoros of Andida].

[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Andida]]
[[Category:University of Athens Theology School Graduates]]