Archbishop Stylianos
Encyclopedia
Stylianos Harkianakis is the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia, and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
. He serves as inaugural and permanent Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches in Australia and Dean of Saint Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College. He is a world-renowned theologian, specialising in ecclesiology
. He is also an awarded poet.
, in the island of Crete
, Greece
on the 29th of December, 1935. He studied theology at the Theological School of Halki, on the island of Halki and graduated in 1958. He and was ordained deacon in 1957 and priest in 1958. He completed postgraduate studies in systematic theology and philosophy of religion in Bonn
, West Germany
, during 1958 to 1966. His lecturers included Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI
. Father Stylianos wrote his thesis on the concept that the Orthodox Church possessed infallibility when it acted together in conciliarity (e.g. the Ecumenical Councils). At that time, the idea of infallibility was thought to be an exclusively Roman Catholic idea, entirely alien to the Orthodox Church.
In 1965, whilst still completing his postgraduate studies, Father Stylianos was declared Professor of Theology at the University of Athens. In 1966, he was appointed Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Vlatodon, in Thessaloniki
. He was a founding member, then became vice-president, and later president, of the Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies within the monastery. From 1969 to 1975, Abbot Stylianos lectured in Systematic Theology at the University of Thessaloniki.
In 1970, Abbot Stylianos was elected the Titular Metropolitan of Militoupolis (whilst remaining in the Holy Monastery of Vlatodon) as Exarch in matters concerning Northern Greece and Mt. Athos.
Archbishop Stylianos has taught Orthodox Theology and Spirituality at Sydney University since 1975. In 1986, the Archbishop became inaugural Dean of the Theological College of St Andrew where he also serves as Lecturer of Systematic Theology.
.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is the Australian archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.- Archbishop of Australia...
. He serves as inaugural and permanent Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches in Australia and Dean of Saint Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College. He is a world-renowned theologian, specialising in ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
. He is also an awarded poet.
Overview
Archbishop Stylianos was born in RethymnoRethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
, in the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
on the 29th of December, 1935. He studied theology at the Theological School of Halki, on the island of Halki and graduated in 1958. He and was ordained deacon in 1957 and priest in 1958. He completed postgraduate studies in systematic theology and philosophy of religion in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, during 1958 to 1966. His lecturers included Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. Father Stylianos wrote his thesis on the concept that the Orthodox Church possessed infallibility when it acted together in conciliarity (e.g. the Ecumenical Councils). At that time, the idea of infallibility was thought to be an exclusively Roman Catholic idea, entirely alien to the Orthodox Church.
In 1965, whilst still completing his postgraduate studies, Father Stylianos was declared Professor of Theology at the University of Athens. In 1966, he was appointed Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Vlatodon, in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. He was a founding member, then became vice-president, and later president, of the Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies within the monastery. From 1969 to 1975, Abbot Stylianos lectured in Systematic Theology at the University of Thessaloniki.
In 1970, Abbot Stylianos was elected the Titular Metropolitan of Militoupolis (whilst remaining in the Holy Monastery of Vlatodon) as Exarch in matters concerning Northern Greece and Mt. Athos.
Archbishop of Australia
In 1975, Metropolitan Stylianos was elected Archbishop of Australia, Exarch of Oceania. In this role, he engaged in many dialogues between Orthodoxy and other Christian groups, most prominently as co-chairman of the Theological Dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, but also as co-chairman of the dialogue with the Anglican Church.Archbishop Stylianos has taught Orthodox Theology and Spirituality at Sydney University since 1975. In 1986, the Archbishop became inaugural Dean of the Theological College of St Andrew where he also serves as Lecturer of Systematic Theology.
Awards
In 1973, he was awarded the International Award Gottfried von Herder (1973). A renowned poet with an extensive bibliography, Archbishop Stylianos was given the Award for Poetry from the Academy of Athens in 1980, and in 1985 he received an Honourary Doctorate from Lublin University, Poland. One of his poems, "After Ephialtes", was set to music by Costas TsicaderisCostas Tsicaderis
Costas Tsicaderis was a Greek-Australian singer-songwriter.- Biography :Costas Tsicaderis was born in Katerini in the north of Greece in 1945, and his family migrated to Australia in 1954, when Costas was nine years old...
.