The current Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese of Athens, Bishop Symeon of Thespies, has been elected by the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, as the new Metropolitan of Fthiotida, in the succession of the late Metropolitan Nicholas.
The new metropolitan received 62 votes. The Metropolitan of Fanari received 8 votes, while there were 9 blank votes.
The new Metropolitan of Fthiotida Symeon, former of Thespies, was born in Kozani on May 9, 1977.
In 1999 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and in 2002 from the School of Theology of the same university.
In 2002 he successfully supported his diploma thesis in ecclesiastical law at the AUTh Faculty of Law and received a master’s degree with First-class honours.
In 2002 he was accepted by the General Assembly of the Faculty of Theology as a PhD candidate in the Department of Dogmatic Theology in the field of History of Philosophy.
He has degrees in English and German languages.
He was the spiritual child of the late Metropolitan of Kastoria, Gregory III. In 2001 he was ordained a Reader and in August 2002 a Monk by Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria. During his monasticism he received the name Symeon in honour and memory of Saint Symeon the New Theologian.
Until 2011 he resided as a monk in the Holy Monastery of Saint Anargyroi, Melissotopos, of the Metropolis of Kastoria.
In 2011 he became a member of the Holy Clergy of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens. He was ordained a Deacon at the Katholikon of the Petraki Monastery by Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria and an Elder at the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian- Mazaraki (Vagia-Boeotia) by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.
In 2012 he received the office of the Archimandrite and was ordained Spiritual Minister.
On June 25, 2014, he was appointed Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.
In February 2018 he was elected Bishop of Thespies.
English article: Orthodox Times
Photo: arxon.gr
