Elections of new Metropolitans and promotions in the Patriarchal Court

On 17-19 March 2021, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate presided by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew convened for its first session in its new composition, including their Eminences Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Metropolitans Dimitrios of Metres and Athyra, Ambrosios of Karpathos and Kasos, Apostolos of Militos, Alexios of Atlanta, Joseph of Proconnesus, Meliton of Philadelphia, Joseph of Buenos Aires, Cleopas of Sweden and all Scandinavia, Maximos of Selyvria, Makarios of Australia and Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos.

At the proposal of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Very Rev. Grand Prime-Chancellor Andreas Sophianopoulos was elected Metropolitan of Forty Churches, and the Very Rev. Archimandrite Joachim Billis, Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, was elected Metropolitan of Proussa.

The Ecumenical Patriarch also announced that Grand Archdeacon Theodore Meimaris was appointed as the Grand Prime-Chancellor of the Patriarchal Court, Deacon Paisios Kokkinakis, Director of the Private Patriarchal Office, was promoted to Grand Archdeacon, and Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios Nikiforos was appointed as the new Director of the Private Patriarchal Office.

According to the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Undersecretary Deacon Grigorios Fraggakis was promoted Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, the Synodal Codifier, Deacon Vosporios Magkafas, became Undersecretary, and the Patriarchal Deacon Ecumenios Amanatidis was appointed as interim Synodal Codifier until further notice.