Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
Theophilos III. of Jerusalem, real name Ηλίας Γιαννόπουλος ( Ilias Giannopoulos ), ( born April 4, 1952 in Messinia, Greece ) is the reigning patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
Life
He studied theology at the University of Athens and continued his studies in London continued. In 1984 he went to Jerusalem and served as archdeacon under Patriarch Benedict I. From 1991 to 1996 he was a priest in Kanna, Galilee. He founded a company named Nour al Masih ( Light of Christ ) to spread the Orthodox faith in the region. In 1996, he was the first Christian priest for centuries in the closed Islamic world from Qatar, where many Christian Palestinians work. He served as Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Qatar. From 2000 to 2003 he was a church representative to the Patriarchate of Moscow. In February 2005, he became Archbishop of Tabor. On 22 August 2005, the Jerusalem Holy Synod elected him unopposed for 141 primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and the successor to the removed from office in early 2005 Irenaios I. Theophilos III. took over the office in a very difficult time of growing tensions in the region especially between Palestine and Israel, and most recently in Palestine itself In addition, some priests have trouble getting their visas extended. At times, Jordan had him removed from the recognition, but it was pronounced on 12 June 2007 by the Jordanian cabinet this again. A ministerial Commission of the Israeli government recommended in October 2007 also the recognition, so that 16 December 2007 was the formal recognition by Israel.
According to newspaper reports be deposed predecessor Irenaios is held against his will.
Name
Theophilos III. traditionally holds the title Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all of Palestine and Syria, the areas beyond the Jordan and from Cana in Galilee, and Holy Zion.
Former Patriarch of Jerusalem of the same name were Theophilos I, Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1012 to 1020, and Theophilus II, Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1417 to 1424.