Archbishop Demetrios of America

Demetrios was born in Thessaloniki, Greece on February 1, 1928 to Georgia and Christos Trakatellis. He attended the School of Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, graduating with distinction in 1950. He became a deacon in 1960 and was ordained as a priest in 1964. He moved to the United States in 1965, attending the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and obtaining his PhD in 1972. He later returned to the University of Athens, obtaining his Doctor of Theology degree in 1977. He served as auxiliary bishop to the Archbishop of Athens from 1967, and in 1968 declined to serve as metropolitan bishop of Attika and Megaris due to the political upheaval then taking place in Greece.[1]

He was Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, from 1983 to 1993, and was a visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School in 1984–85 and 1988–89. He returned to Greece in 1993 to serve at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Athens.[1]

On September 18, 1999, Elder Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.[5][6] The cathedral on New York City's Upper East Side serves as the national cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is the seat of the Archbishop.[7][8]

On November 26, 2015, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced the elevation of the archdiocese to the rank of Gerontiki Eparchy (meaning an eparchy headed by a Geron/Elder hierarch) of the Ecumenical Throne in the person of Archbishop Demetrios of America, who would thenceforth be entitled His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America.[9]

Demetrios was elected as a member of the Academy of Athens in November 2002 and was inducted on November 14, 2003. He was elected to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 19, 2004.[1]

Archbishop Demetrios delivered invocations at the Democratic National Convention on August 27, 2008 and the Republican National Convention on September 4, 2008.[10] He also delivered the benediction at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon on January 21, 2013.[11][12]

On May 4, 2019, Demetrios submitted his letter of resignation as Archbishop of America, which would go into effect on May 9.[2] Demetrios, whose leadership has been criticized by some as leading the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America into "financial, administrative, and spiritual bankruptcy,"[2] had previously been pressured three times by the Eastern Orthodox Church's Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew I to "voluntarily resign."[2] After refusing each time, Bartholomew denied Demetrios another extension.[2] His letter of resignation was made public on the scheduled date.[4] Hours after Demetrios' letter was made public, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane made his letter of resignation as Chancellor of the Archdiocese of America public as well.[4] On May 11, Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa was unanimously elected to succeed Demetrios.[13] The same day, Demetrios' resignation as Archbishop of America was made official.[3]

Demetrios is the author of six books as well as hundreds of articles and essays published in various periodicals.

• Presence of the Holy Spirit (1984)
• Authority and Passion (1987)
• The Transcendent God of Eugnostos (1991)
• Christ, the Pre-existing God (1992)
• The Fathers Interpret (1996)
• A Call to Faith (2004)

His brother, Antonios Trakatellis, is a New Democracy MEP for Greece and former Vice-President of the European Parliament.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archbishop Demetrios of America.

• Official website
• Archbishop Demetrios of America playlist on YouTube
• "'ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΓΕΡΩΝ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ' ΑΠΟ ΣΗΜΕΡΑ Ο ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΜΕ ΑΠΟΦΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ"
• Appearances on C-SPAN