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[[Image:Holy Trinity NYC.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New York City]]The '''Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America''', headquarted headquartered in New York City, is an [[eparchy ]] of the [[Church of Constantinople]]. Its current primate is His Eminence Archbishop [[Demetrios Elpidophoros (TrakatellisLambriniadis) of America]].
== History ==
Before the establishment of a Greek Archdiocese in the Western Hemisphere there were numerous communities of Greek Orthodox Christians. The first Greek Orthodox community in the Americas was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana by a small colony of Greek merchants. History also records that on [[June 26]], 1768, the first Greek colonists landed at St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in America. The first permanent community was founded in New York City in 1892, today’s Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the See of the Archbishop of America.
== Recent History ==
In recent years, there has been much tension between the Archdiocese and the current Ecumenical Patriarch, [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]], especially regarding the level of autonomy the former has with regard to the latter. One of the important incidents in this ongoing tension was the allegedly forced retirement in 1996 of Archbishop [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos]] after his leadership during the [[Ligonier Meeting]] in 1994, where many of the Orthodox hierarchs in America came together to begin the formation of a unified Orthodox Church of America. Iakovos was replaced with Archbishop [[Spyridon (GeorgePapageorge) of America|Spyridon]], whose 'tempestuous ' tenure as archbishop lasted only 3 years, seeing his (again allegedly forced) retirement in 1999 and replacement by the current Archbishop, [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetrios(Trakatellis)]].
A strong movement of laity in the Archdiocese has been engaged in the tensions with Constantinople, as well, especially a particular group known as [[Orthodox Christian Laity]] (OCL), which includes some of the wealthiest members of the Archdiocese. In 2004, 35 plaintiffs unsuccessfully sued Archbishop [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetrios]] and the Greek Archdiocese in an attempt to force it to invalidate the 2003 charter granted by Constantinople, the ; their lawsuit stating stated that the Greek hierarchy had imposed the rewritten charter without approval from delegates at the national Clergy-Laity Congress, violating the terms of the 1978 charter. The main aim of the suit was to attempt to gain more autonomy from the [[Church of Constantinople]], especially regarding the choice of the American Archdiocese's primate.
The suit met with condemnation by the Greek hierarchy in America, stating which stated that the plaintiffs had "sued Christ Himself" (a quote from Metropolitan [[Iakovos (KrinisGarmatis) of Chicago|Iakovos of Chicago]]). It was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, on grounds that the Greek Archdiocese was hierarchical and therefore acting within its proper bounds, that the courts did not have the authority to intervene in such matters.
This conflict is far from over, and OCL continues to organize resistance to what it regards as papal pretensions on the part of Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew]].
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
==Organization==
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is composed of an Archdiocesan District (New York City) and eight Metropolises[[metropolis]]es: New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston and Denver. It is governed by the Archbishop and the Eparchial Synod of Bishops. The Synod of Bishops is headed by the Archbishop archbishop and comprised of the Bishops bishops who oversee the ministry of the Metropolisesmetropolises. It has all the authority and responsibility which the Church canons provide for a provincial synod.[[Image:GOA seal.gif|left|frame|Seal of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]There are about 540 [[parish]]es, 800 [[priest]]s and approximately 440,000 to 2 million faithful in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, depending on the source of reports and the counting method being used.[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/quick_question17.html] The number of parishes in the Greek Archdiocese rose by about 9% in the decade from 1990 to 2000, and membership growth has largely been in terms of existing members having children.[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/tab2.pdf]
The Archdiocese also includes 21 [[monasticism|monastic ]] communities, 16 17 of which were founded by [[Ephrem of Philotheou|Elder Ephraim]] (former abbot of [[Philotheou Monastery (Athos)]]). The largest of these is [[St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery (Florence, Arizona)]].
Additionally, one [[seminary ]] is operated by the Greek Archdiocese, [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology]] in Brookline, Massachusetts, which educates not only Greek Archdiocese seminarians but also those from other [[jurisdiction]]s, as well.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is also a member of the [[Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America]] which superseded [[SCOBA]].
===Archdiocesan structure===The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese *[[Direct Archdiocesan District (GOA)|Archdiocesan District]]*[[Metropolis of Atlanta]]*[[Metropolis of Boston]]*[[Metropolis of Chicago]]*[[Metropolis of America is also a member Denver]]*[[Metropolis of Detroit]]*[[SCOBAMetropolis of New Jersey]]*[[Metropolis of Pittsburgh]]*[[Metropolis of San Francisco]].
== The Episcopacy ==
===Diocesan bishops===* Archbishop [[Demetrios Elpidophoros (TrakatellisLambriniadis) of America|Demetrios Elpidophoros (TrakatellisLambriniadis)]] of America<!-- * Metropolitan [[Iakovos (KrinisGarmatis) of Chicago|Iakovos (KrinisGarmatis)]] of Chicago* Metropolis of San Francisco (currently without a hierarch)* Metropolitan [[Maximos (Aghiorgoussis) of Pittsburgh|Maximos (Aghiorgoussis)]] of Pittsburgh--->
* Metropolitan [[Methodios (Tournas) of Boston|Methodios (Tournas)]] of Boston
* Metropolitan [[Isaiah (Chronopoulos) of Denver|Isaiah (Chronopoulos)]] of Denver
* Metropolitan [[Nicholas (Pissare) of Detroit|Nicholas (Pissare)]] of Detroit
* Metropolitan [[Evangelos (Kourounis) of New Jersey|Evangelos (Kourounis)]] of New Jersey
* Metropolitan [[Gerasimos (Michaleas) of San Francisco|Gerasimos (Michaleas)]] of San Francisco
* Metropolitan [[Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh|Savas (Zembillas)]] of Pittsburgh
===Titular bishops===
* Bishop [[Dimitrios (Couchell) of Xanthos]]
* Bishop [[Andonios (Paropoulos) of Phasiane]]
* Bishop [[Demetrios (Kantzavelos) of Mokissos]]
===Archbishops of America===
* [[Alexander (Demoglou) of Rodostolou|Alexander (Demoglou)]], 1922-1930
* [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras (Spyrou)]], 1931-1948
* [[Michael (Konstantinides) of America|Michael (Konstantinides)]], 1949-1958
* [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]], 1959-1996
* [[Spyridon (Papageorge) of Chaldea|Spyridon (Papageorge)]], 1996-1999
* [[Demetrios (Trakatellis) of America|Demetrios (Trakatellis)]], 1999-2019
* [[Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America|Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis)]], 2019-present
===Former diocesan hierarchs of the Archdiocese:===* Archbishop Metropolitan [[Iakovos (CoucouzisGarmatis) of AmericaChicago|Iakovos (CoucouzisGarmatis)]] of America (1959-1996) retiredChicago* Archbishop Metropolitan [[Spyridon Maximos (GeorgeAghiorgoussis) of AmericaPittsburgh|Spyridon Maximos (GeorgeAghiorgoussis)]] of America Pittsburgh* Metropolitan [[Silas (1996-1999Koskinas), retiredof Saranta Ekklesia|Silas (Koskinas) of New Jersey]] * Metropolitan [[Anthony (Gergiannakis) of San Francisco]]* Bishop [[Joachim (Alexopoulos) of Demetrias|Joachim (Alexopoulos) of Boston]]* Bishop [[Athenagoras I (Kavadas) of Thyateira and Great Britain|Anthony Athenagoras (Kavadas) of Boston]]* Bishop [[Philaret (GergiannakisIoannides)of Chicago]] * Bishop [[Kallistos (Papageorgakopoulos) of San Francisco, deceased]]* Bishop [[Timothy (Negrepontis) of Detroit]]* Bishop [[George (Papaioannou) of New Jersey]]* Bishop [[Philip (Koutoufas) of Atlanta]]
===Former titular hierarchs===
* Metropolitan [[Germanos (Polyzoides) of Hierapolis]]
* Metropolitan [[Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Thyateira and Great Britain|Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Eleia]]
* Bishop [[Ezekiel (Tsoukalas) of Pisidia|Ezekiel (Tsoukalas) of Nazianzus]]
* Bishop [[Germanos (Liamadis) of Constantia]]
* Bishop [[Germanos (Psallidakis) of Synadon]]
* Bishop [[Meletios (Tripodakis) of Christianoupolis]]
* Bishop [[Aimilianos (Laloussis) of Harioupolis]]
* Bishop [[Kallistos (Samaras) of Zelon]]
* Bishop [[Gerasimos (Papadopoulos) of Abydos]]
* Bishop [[Demetrios (Makris) of Olympos]]
* Bishop [[Iakovos (Pililis) of Catania]]
* Bishop [[Philotheos (Karamitsos) of Meloa]]
* Bishop [[Paul (de Ballester-Convallier) of Nazianzus]]
* Bishop [[John (Kallos) of Amoriun]]
* Bishop [[Anthimos (Drakonakis) of Christoupolis|Anthimos (Drakonakis) of Olympos]]
== External links ==* [http://www.goarch.org/ Official Website of the Archdiocese]* [http://www.patriarchate.org/ Official Website of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople]
==Further Reading==
* Charles C. Moskos. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=mcTvNg77kp4C&source=gbs_navlinks_s Greek Americans, Struggle and Success].'' 2nd Ed.. Transaction Publishers, 1989. 204 pp. ISBN 9780887387784
* Rev. George Pappaioannou. ''The Historical Development of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.'' In: F.K. Litsas (Ed.). '''A Companion to the Greek Orthodox Church.''' New York, N.Y.: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, 1984. (pp. 178-206).
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
[[Category:Dioceses]]
[[Category:Ecumenical Patriarchate Dioceses|America]]
[[fr:Archidiocèse orthodoxe grec d'Amérique]]
[[ro:Arhiepiscopia Ortodoxă Greacă din America]]