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Athens News Agency - September 20, 1999

Dimitrios enthroned as new Archbishop of America

NEW YORK, 20/9/1999 (ANA - M. Papoutsaki/CNA)

In a grandiose ecclesiastical ceremony here on Saturday, before religious leaders from around the world, political leaders and hundreds of faithful, Archbishop Dimitrios was enthroned as the sixth Archbishop of America since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922.

The 71-year-old Dimitrios was lauded by Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis and Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, among others. US First Lady Hillary Clinton also attended the ceremony.

In an address, Dimitrios said that cultivating the Orthodox faith, extending love, charity and care for his fellow human beings and working for unity and concord among the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese are his top goals.

Archbishop Iakovos, the former Archbishop of North and South America also attended, referring to Dimitrios' "sparkling intellect, unclouded reasoning, sensitive conscience and devotion to the Lord".

At an official luncheon afterwards, Ms Clinton conveyed her husband's greetings and said this was a "very significant occasion, not only for the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek-Americans, but for our country as well."

On his part, Mr. Niotis stressed that "such a spiritual man and distinguished scholar fulfills the necessary preconditions for carrying out his duties in a productive way."

Mr. Clerides extended what he called the "profound gratitude of the government and the people of Cyprus for the way in which the Archdiocese and the Greek Orthodox Churches throughout the United States have always embraced our struggle for a just and vi able solution to the long-standing problem of the forcible division of Cyprus and its people."

| Metropolitan Dimitrios of Vrasthena was unanimously elected Archbishop of America during a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Aug. 19 to succeed Archbishop Spyridon, who had resigned a day earlier.

A noted spiritual leader and scholar, Dimitrios has spent more than 20 years in the United States, first as a student and then as a professor at Harvard and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church School of Theology in Brookline, Mass.

Meeting with Greek FM: Finally, the newly enthroned Archbishop officiated at his first service yesterday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City, with Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Mr. Niotis in attendance. Mr. Papandreou expressed the "total confidence of the Greek government" in Dimitrios during a meeting of the two men, following the service. The Greek FM also conveyed Prime Minister Costas Simitis' regards.

[ Athens News Agency - www.ana.gr - September 20, 1999 ]