View source for Petros (Giakoumelos) of Caesarea

[[File:Petros (Giakoumelos) of Caesarea.jpg|thumb|Elder Petros.]]
His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Petros (Giakoumelos) of Caesarea''' (1932–2020) was the [[Archdiocese of Caesarea in Numidia|Archbishop of Caesarea in Numidia]] in northeastern Africa, part of the [[Church of Alexandria]].  

==Life==
George Giakoumelos was born in 1932 in the Zakynthos Island in Ionian Greece. His collegiate level education began with the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens in Greece. He was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] in 1955 and as a [[priest]] in 1956 under the [[Church of Constantinople|Patriarchate of Constantinople]], in the age of 24. Fr. Petros continued his education at the Sorbonne, Paris, studying Catechism-Pastoral Theology and Sociology. While attached to the [[Archdiocese]] of Elasson, Fr. Petros served as [[archdeacon]], preacher, and Great [[Chancellor]] of the Throne.

In 1970, Fr. Petros was transfered to the [[Church of Alexandria|See of Alexandria]] under the [[Nicholas VI (Varelopoulos) of Alexandria|Patriarch Nicholas VI]] (1968–1986). On [[December 17]], 1972, in the age of 40, he was ordained titular Bishop of Babylon in Cairo, where he served as Patriarchal Commissioner. On [[November 30]], 1979, Bishop Petros was elected the fourth [[Archdiocese of Aksum|Archbishop of Aksum]] in Etiopia. During 1996 and 1997, Abp. Petros was appointed also Patriarchal Exarch in the [[Archdiocese of Nairobi|Archdiocese of Kenya]]. His see was in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, with jurisdiction over Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.

With the repose of the [[Petros VII (Papapetrou) of Alexandria|Patriarch Petros VII]] (1997–2004) on September 11, 2004, Abp. Petros served as vicar of the Patriarchal Throne until the enthronement of the current [[Theodoros II (Choreftakis) of Alexandria|Patriarch Theodoros II]] on October 24, 2004. On [[October 27]], Theodoros awarded him the title of Gerontos (Elder) and sent him as Exarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to the [[Church of Greece]] in Athens in the age of 72.

On [[November 26]], 2018, Elder Petros resigned as Archbishop of Aksum after 39 years and was elected titular [[Archdiocese of Caesarea in Numidia|Archbishop of Caesarea in Numidia]]. His Eminence reposed in the Lord in the Hospital of Voulas, Athens, on [[November 24]], 2020, in the age of 88. His funeral was held two days after in the Church of Panagia Marmariotissis in Chalandri, Athens, where he was buried by the Most Reverend Archbishop [[Emmanuel (Kiagias) of Ptolemais|Emmanuel of Ptolemais]]. Patriarch Theodoros performed a Trisagion for his repose in Kenya.

Elder Petros spoke French, English, and Italian, in addition to his native language Greek. By the time of his repose, Archbishop Petros was the longest-serving living hierarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. He served a total of 46 years as bishop.


{{start box}}
{{succession
|before=?
|title=Bishop of Babylon
|years=1972–1979
|after=?
}}
{{succession
|before=[[Methodios (Fouyias) of Pisidia|Methodios of Pisidia]]
|title=[[Archdiocese of Aksum|Archbishop of Aksum]]
|years=1979–2018
|after=Daniel of Aksum
}}
{{succession
|before=?
|title=[[Archdiocese of Caesarea in Numidia|Archbishop of Caesarea]]
|years=2018–2020
|after=—
}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
*[http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/index.php?module=content&cid=004001 Patriarchate of Alexandria website]
*[http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/oldsite/administration/hierEN.htm  Hierarchs of the Throne - Alexandria]
*[https://orthodoxia.info/news/ekoimithi-o-mitropolitis-kaisareias-p/ Petros, Metropolitan of Caesarea, Reposed]

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:University of Athens Theology School Graduates]]