Ioannis (Tsaftarides) of Zambia

His Grace, the Right Reverend Ioannis (Tsaftarides) of Mozambique is the Bishop of the Diocese of Mozambique under the jurisdiction of the Church of Alexandria.

Life

The future bishop was born, in 1969, in Angeryko on the Ionian Island of Zakynthos where he was raised and received his pre-third level education. He continued his education at the Ecclesiastical School of Athens and the Theology Faculty of the University of Athens, before attending the Theology Faculty of the University of Sophia in Sofia, Bulgaria from which he graduated in 2001.

During his years of education, Ioannis began a career as a missionary in the Sub-Saharan Africa in 1993 as well as entered the Holy Orders. On November 21, 1993, he was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Zakynthos. Then, on December 17, 1993, Dcn. Ioannis was ordained a priest by Metr. Chrysostomos of Dodonis. As a missionary since 1993, Fr. Ioannis served for the Patriarchate of Alexandria in churches in Cairo, Egypt and in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. In 1998 while in Zambia, he was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite by Pope and Patriarch Petros VII of Alexandria.

While serving as a missionary, Fr. Ioannis continued his education, attending the Department of Greek and Latin Studies of the University of Johannesburg from which he received a Master’s Degree in 2010.

On October 7, 2010, Fr. Ioannis was elected by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria as Bishop of Mozambique and consecrated by Patr. Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa.

Source

• Election of Archimandrite Ioannis (Tsaftarides)