Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks of a “new era for the Church of Crete” in his statement to “Chaniotic News,” following the election of new Metropolitans of Cydonia and Sfakia. After months of “sacred” behind-the-scenes negotiations, significant interventions from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and several postponements, the electoral process was completed on Wednesday, January 28, for filling the vacant positions of Metropolitans of Cydonia and Apokoronas (Chania) and Lampi, Syvritos and Sfakia (Spili). Specifically, the new Metropolitan of Cydonia and Apokoronas elected was the Chief Secretary of the Metropolis of Petra and Chersonesos, Archimandrite Titos Tampakakis, while the new Metropolitan of Lampi, Syvritos and Sfakia is the Chief Secretary of the Metropolis of Gortyna and Arkadia, Archimandrite Ioakeim Karandinos.
Mitsotakis on the election of new Metropolitans of Cydonia and Sfakia
“A new era begins in the ecclesiastical history of the Metropolis of Cydonia and Apokoronas and the Metropolis of Lampi, Syvritos and Sfakia. And it begins with the best possible conditions for our proud island, the Church of Crete and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Mother Church of all. Congratulations are owed to the Archbishop of Crete, the Metropolitans of the Church of Crete and, of course, to the Exarchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the message of strong unity and righteous hope they conveyed today. Worthy are the elected Metropolitans.”
Who is the new Metropolitan of Cydonia and Apokoronas
Titos Tampakakis, born Emmanuel in the secular world, was born in Neapoli Lasithiou in 1976. He attended the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School and then entered the Pastoral Department of the Theological School of the University of Athens. In 1996 he became a monk under His Eminence Metropolitan of Petra and Chersonesos, Nektarios, and received the name Titos. The same year, he was ordained as a deacon and in 2002 as a presbyter, taking on parish duties. In 2002 he became an archimandrite, while a year later he moved to France, where he served in important positions of the Holy Metropolis of France and simultaneously attended philosophy and culture studies at the Sorbonne for four years. In 2007 he returned to the Holy Metropolis of Petra and Chersonesos as a preacher, in 2008 he was appointed supervisor of parishes and in 2010 he was appointed secretary of the Synodical Committee for Religious Tourism of the Church of Crete.
Who is the new Metropolitan of Lampi, Syvritos and Sfakia
The Chief Secretary of the Holy Metropolis of Gortyna and Arkadia, Archimandrite Ioakeim Karandinos, was born in Messara in 1976. He serves alongside His Eminence Metropolitan of Gortyna and Arkadia Makarios and is distinguished for his rich social work. The Holy Metropolis of Lampi and Sfakia is based in Spili and includes areas of the provinces of Sfakia, Agios Vasilios and Amari.
How the two Metropolitans were elected
Shortly after 11:00 in the morning, the Exarchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, consisting of the Metropolitan Elders of Chalcedon Emmanuel and Austria Arsenios, as well as the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, arrived at the Archbishopric offices in Heraklion, namely His Eminence Archbishop of Crete Eugenios and the Eminences Metropolitans: of Gortyna and Arkadia Makarios, of Arkalochori, Kastelli and Viannos Andreas, of Kissamos and Selinos Amphilochios, of Petra and Chersonesos Gerasimos, of Ierapetra and Sitia Kyrillos and of Rethymno and Avlopotamos Prodromos. The two new Shepherds emerged from the electoral process which follows article 21 of the Constitutional Charter of the Church of Crete and provides for the initial election of the three most favored names (third-person), while subsequently from the three candidates the new Metropolitan was elected.
