His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, GCFO,
London. 21 November 2019. As Delegate for Great Britain and Ireland, it is my very sad duty to inform our knights, dames and medallists of the passing yesterday, aged 91, of His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios, formerly Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain and head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland.
Archbishop Gregorios, (fourth from the right in the picture above) was without doubt one of the pioneering interfaith campaigners in Britain. He devoted a great deal of time and personal effort to promote real and meaningful understanding between the followers of Christ and wider faith communities.
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios was born in Marathovounos, Famagusta, Cyprus on 28 October 1928, the ninth and last child of the family. Following primary education, he was apprenticed to a relative who was a shoemaker. Later, at the age of twenty, he resumed his studies, eventually enrolling at the Pan-Cyprian Gymnasium. He was ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Makarios III in 1953.
In 1954, he transferred to Athens to study for a degree at the Theological Faculty of the National University graduating in 1959. Shortly before this, he was appointed to the Church of All Saints in Camden Town, London where, on 28 April, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Athenagoras I (Kavvadas) of Thyateira.
In 1964, he was appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese; and on 12 December 1970, he was raised to the episcopate with the title of Bishop of Tropaeou by Archbishop Athenagoras II (Kokkinakis) of Thyateira and Great Britain at the Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom (St. Sophia) in Bayswater, West London. Immediately, he undertook the organisation and administration of St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Church of St. Barnabas the Apostle in Wood Green, London.
On 16 April 1988, he was unanimously elected by the Holy Synod of the Oecumenical Patriarchate as Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain with his enthronement taking place at the Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom. He has served three year-long terms as a member of the Patriarchate’s Holy Synod. In 2017, he became the longest-serving Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain. He retired as Archbishop in 2019 following a period of ill health.
To many knights and dames His Eminence will be remembered as a longstanding supporter of the inter-faith and charitable work of the Constantinian Order in Great Britain attending many events, masses and conferences organised by the delegation.
His Eminence was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I in 2003 by decree of HRH Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro.In a ceremony held in November 2018, the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Castro, in the presence of many delegation members also awarded Archbishop Gregorios the Silver Benemermenti Medal of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George in recognition of his lifetime service to the Orthodox community in Britain, to furthering Orthodox-Catholic relations and to furthering inter-religious understanding globally.
His Eminence will be greatly missed by many of our delegation members and I ask in a special way that you remember him in your thoughts and prayers at this sad time for the Greek and Cypriot communities across the world and the many who, like me, had the honour and privilege to work alongside him.
Αναπαύσου εν ειρήνη. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam. Rest in peace. Requiescat in pace.
Yours confraternally
ANTHONY BAILEY
DELEGATE