Germanos (Polyzoides) of Hierapolis

His Eminence the Most Reverend Germanos (Polyzoidis) of Hierapolis was a auxiliary bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. As the titular Bishop of Nyssa he served the Sixth Archdiocesan District, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and as locum tenens of the archdiocese after the death of Archbishop Michael (Konstantinides) and before the arrival of Abp. Iakovos (Coucouzis).

Life

Born Hipocrates John Polyzoides in 1898, the future metropolitan grew up in Chalcedon, outside the city of Constantinople in what was then the Ottoman Empire. He graduated from the Theological School of Halki in 1919 and moved to New York the following year to pursue studies at New York University. When the archbishop of Athens, Meletios Metaxakis obtained the charter of incorporation of the Archdiocese of North and South America, Germanos co-signed the charter as archdeacon. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Alexander in 1927, and assigned to the church of St. Demetrios in Astoria, Queens.

The historian Paul Manolis writes in an article published in 1983 that Germanos was elected in 1928 as Metropolitan of Australia. However, it appears that the election was not followed through.

Fr. Germanos was elevated to the rank of archimandrite by Archbishop Athenagoras in 1931. Six years later, he was assigned concurrently as one of the first faculty members of the new Holy Cross School of Theology in Pomfret, Connecticut.

In 1941, Fr. Germanos was elected Bishop of the titular see of Nyssa. His consecration took place on November 30, 1941 at New York's Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The consecrating hierarchs were Abp. Athenagoras, Bp. Athenagoras of Boston, Bp. Eirinaios of San Francisco, Bp. Bohdan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America, and Bishop Sabbas (Sovetov) of Grodno (Poland). During World War II, Bishop Germanos served as chair of the Greek War Bond Committee.

Following the war, Bishop Germanos was appointed presiding hierarch of the Sixth Archdiocesan District, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He later returned to New York as editor of the archdiocesan magazine The Orthodox Observer. Upon the death of Archbishop Michael in 1958, Bishop Germanos was designated as locum tenens until the election and enthronement of Archbishop Iakovos the following year.

In 1962, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized Bishop Gerasimos for his long and dedicated service to the Church in America by electing him titular Metropolitan of Hierapolis. He retired the following year, but continued to serve the Church as he was able.

In ill health for the final years of his life, Metropolitan Germanos died in Astoria on July 13, 1993.

Succession box: Germanos (Polyzoides) of Hierapolis
Preceded by: ?	Bishop of Nyssa 1941-1962	Succeeded by: John (Martin)
Preceded by: ?	Metropolitan of Hierapolis 1962-1993	Succeeded by: Antony (Scharba)

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Sources

• "Queens Rector Elevated: Dr. Germanos Polizoides to be Greek Bishop of Chicago," The New York Times, November 22, 1941, page 17.
• "Polyzoides Ordained as Bishop of Nyssa," The New York Times, December 1, 1941, page 14.
• "Bishop Germanos Polizoides, 95, Held High Greek Orthodox Posts," The New York Times, July 22, 1993, page D24.
• Manolis, Paul G., "Thyateira and America", in Texts and Studies, Volume II, published by the Foundation for Hellenism in Great Britain, London, 1983
• Vaporis, N.M., A Chronicle of Hellenic College \ Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, Massachusetts, 1988 [ISBN 0917651510]