The Patriarch Athenagoras Lecture
Monday, March 12, 2012
Metropolitan
Emmanuel of France
The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the
Significance of Dialogue
Wednesday March 14, 2012
7:30 pm
Maliotis Cultural Center
Hellenic College
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) is the Metropolitan of France, Exarch of Europe. He also serves as the representative of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to the European Union. He is President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of France, as well as the Co-President of the Council of Christian Churches of France. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also appointed Metropolitan Emmanuel to the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Dialogues.
His Eminence also represents the Ecumenical Patriarch at the academic dialogues with Judaism and Islam. He is Co-President of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) and in this capacity, His Eminence hosted G8 religious leaders at a summit meeting in Bordeaux, France in May of last year to develop recommendations for world G8 political leaders regarding a variety of environmental and social issues.
Born in Crete, Greece, Metropolitan Emmanuel studied in Greece and continued his graduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Catholic Institute of Paris and at the St. Sergius Orthodox Institute. He furthered his studies of history of religions at the Sorbonne and the Superior Institute for Advanced Studies in Ecumenism of the Catholic Institute of Paris. Ordained a Deacon and a Priest in 1985, His Eminence came to the United States to pursue postgraduate studies at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He graduated in 1987 with the Master of Theology degree with highest honors. After graduation, he was appointed vicar-general of the Metropolis of Belgium while rector of the parish of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Brussels. On September 5, 1996 he was elected titular Bishop of the Reghion, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan of Belgium. On January 20, 2003, His Eminence was elected by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the Metropolitan of France and Exarch of all Europe.
During his service to the Church, the Metropolitan has initiated and participated in a number of ministries. Most notably, he has become an advocate for peace and ecumenical dialogue. He has received multiple honors and been decorated for his service by the French Republic with Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, by the Republic of Greece with The Grand Commander of the Order of Honour of the Hellenic Republic, and by the country of Ukraine with The Order of Ieroslav the Wise.