View source for Dionysios (Hatzivasiliou) of Leontopolis

His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Dionysios (Hatzivasiliou)''' was the Elder [[Archbishop]] of the [[Archdiocese of Leontopolis|Leontopolis]], part of the [[Church of Alexandria]]. His [[see]] was in Ismailia, Egypt with [[jurisdiction]] over Ismailia, Suez and Zagzik in Egypt.

==Life==
Ioannis Hatzivasiliou was born in 1929 in Alexandria. He attended and graduated from the [[Theological School of Halki]] during the years 1951 to 1955, and continued his post graduate education in Paris and Geneva from 1955 to 1961. He served as the chief secretary of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. In Egypt and Sudan, he served as a teacher in high schools and lyceums as well as at the Higher College of Tourism in Cairo. 

He was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] on [[March 26]], 1950 by Bishop Athanasios of Mareotis in the Patriarchal Church of St. Savvas in Alexandria, receiving the name Dionysios. On [[November 28]], 1954, he was ordained a [[priest]] at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Halki by Metropolitan Iakovos of Iconium. From 1959 to 1968, Father Dionysios served as Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate. 

On [[November 29]], 1968, following election and [[consecration of a bishop|consecration]] as [[Bishop]] of Heliopolis, he served for six years as Patriarchal [[Vicar]] in Cairo. In 1974, he was elected [[Archbishop]] of Memphis and served there until he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Nubia in 1988. In 1997, he was assigned as Archbishop of the Metropolis of Leontopolis. On [[October 27]], 2004, he was received as a member of the [[Synod]] by His Beatitude [[Theodoros II (Choreftakis) of Alexandria|Theodoros II]] with the title of Elder Metropolitan. 

He was also assigned the direction of the official bulletin of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, “Pantainos”. Metr. Dionysios also served as Patriarchal Vicar General from 2004 to 2010, after which he was named the honorary Patriarchal Vicar General.

In addition to his native Greek, Metr. Dionysios spoke English, French, Russian, and Arabic; and represented the throne at various congresses and theological dialogues.

The Elder Metropolitan Dionysios fell asleep in the Lord on [[August 30]], 2012. His funeral service took place in Athens, Greece on Saturday [[September 1]], 2012 at the Church of St. Athanasius Kypseli, a dependency of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.


{{start box}}
{{succession
|before = Timotheos of Ganos
|title  = [[Archdiocese of Heliopolis|Bishop of Heliopolis]]
|years  = 1968–1974
|after  = Theoklitos of Heliopolis
}}
{{succession
|before = Nikodimos of Memphis
|title  = [[Archdiocese of Memphis|Archbishop of Memphis]]
|years  = 1974–1988
|after  = [[Paul (Lyngris) of Memphis|Paul of Memphis]]
}}
{{succession
|before = Synesios of Nubia
|title  = [[Archdiocese of Nubia|Archbishop of Khartoum]]
|years  = 1988–1997
|after  = Titus of Khartoum
}}
{{succession
|before = Titus of Khartoum
|title  = [[Archdiocese of Leontopolis|Archbishop of Leontopolis]]
|years  = 1997–2012
|after  = [[Gabriel of Leontopolis]]
}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/index.php?module=content&cid=004001 Patriarchate of Alexandria Archdiocese List website]
*[http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/oldsite/administration/hierEN.htm  Hierarchs of the Throne - Alexandria]
*[http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=news&action=details&id=813  Metropolitan Dionysios of Leontopolis Passes Away]

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Heliopolis]]
[[Category:Bishops of Leontopolis]]
[[Category:Bishops of Memphis]]
[[Category:Bishops of Nubia]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Theological School of Halki Graduates]]