Irinios (Athanasiadis) of Crete

His Eminence the Most Reverend Archbishop Irinios (Athanasiadis) is the ruling hierarch of the Archdiocese of Crete under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He was enthroned on August 30, 2006.

Life

Born Nicholas Athanasiadis in 1933 at the village of Mixorrouma near Agios Vassilios, Crete, Nicholas was the third of six children. During the coarse of his education the young Nicholas attended the Ecclesiastical School of Crete, followed by studies at the Theological School of Halki and at St. Boniface’s College in Warminster, England.

As a member of the clergy, Fr. Irinios served the Metropolis of Kissamos and Selino and as headmaster of the Ecclesiastical School of Crete. On February 23, 1975, Fr. Irinios was elected Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronou.

Abp. Timothy of Crete died on July 26, 2006 after a lengthy illness. As the senior hierarch of the Church of Crete, Metr. Irinios was initially appointed locum tenens of the Archdiocese of Crete before his election by the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the new archbishop of Crete. Abp. Irinios was enthroned at the Agios Minas Cathedral in Iraklion, Crete on August 30, 2006.

Succession box: Irinios (Athanasiadis) of Crete
Preceded by: ?	Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronou 1975-2006	Succeeded by: Damaskinos
Preceded by: Timothy III (Papoutsakis)	Archbishop of Crete 2006-Present	Succeeded by: —

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Sources

• Eirineos, The New Archbishop of Crete
• The new Archbishop of Crete