Theoklitos (Avrantinis) of Aetolia
His Eminence Theoklitos (Avrantinis) of Aetolia and Acarnania was the Metropolitan of the Metropolis of Aitolia and Akarnania under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece. He served as the ruling hierarch of the metropolis from 1965 to 2005.
Life
Luke Avrantinis was born into a large, poor family during 1920 in Kato Blasia in Kalavryta in the northern Peloponnese. After completing his secondary school education, Luke entered military service in the Air Force.
After serving his military service, Luke was tonsured a monk at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Kalavryta and took the monastic name Theoklitos. In 1943, he was ordained a deacon, then in 1946 an hieromonk. Father Theoklitos studied theology at the Theological School of the University of Athens, graduating in 1954. He was abbot of the Monastery of St. Nicholas and rector of the University Church "Kapnikareas". He served as Chancellor of the Metropolis Aetolia and Acarnania and Patron of the Archdiocese of Athens, with the Archbishop Elder Theoklitos.
Fr. Theoklitos was elected to the episcopate by the Synod of Bishops of the Church of Greece and consecratedBishop of Aetolia and Acarnania in 1965. He was Vicar of the Metropolis of Nafpaktos, Arta and Agios Vasilios.
As his health was failing, Metr. Theoklitos retired on April 6, 2005. On April 15, 2006, he was presented the highest honor of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, the Golden Cross of the Apostle Paul, by Archbishop Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens.
Metr. Theoklitos reposed on February 12, 2007, at the of age 87. He was buried in the Monastery of Our Lady Eleousis Etoliko.
Sources
| Theoklitos (Avrantinis) of Aetolia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: ? |
Metropolitan of Aetolia 1965 - 2005 |
Succeeded by: Cosmas (Papachristos) |