The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in its latest convention, approved the recommendation for the new bishop.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr Vartholomaios, proposed and its was adopted for the Bishop of Dervis, Mr Ezekiel to be elevated to Metropolitan.
The Archdiocese announcement is as follows:
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which convened for the month of August in the Phanar (Constantinople), under the Presidency of His All-Holiness our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on Monday 30th August, elected four new Assistant Bishops for the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, at the recommendation of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
Specifically, the following were elected:
- The Very Reverend Archimandrite Prochoros Anastasiadis was elected with the title of Bishop of Charioupolis
- The Very Reverend Archimandrite Evmenios Vasilopoulos was elected with the title of Bishop of Kerasounta
- The Very Reverend Archimandrite Kyriakos Michael was elected with the title of Bishop of Sozopolis, and
- The Very Reverend Archimandrite Christodoulos Economou was elected with the title of Bishop of Magnesia.
Furthermore, the Holy and Sacred Synod decided to elevate the diocese of Dervis to the rank of a Metropolis and His Grace Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis to the position of Metropolitan of the Ecumenical Throne.
The relevant announcement from the Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod follows:
“With great joy we announce that during today’s deliberations, the Holy and Sacred Synod, at the recommendation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, decided to elevate the once glorious Diocese of Dervis to a Metropolis with His Grace Bishop Ezekiel becoming an active Metropolitan of the Venerable Ecumenical Throne. Moreoever, at the request of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Austrlia, the Holy and Sacred Synod elected four Assistant Bishops for the Holy Archdiocese of Australia: the Very Reverend Archimandrite Kyriakos Michael, with the title of Bishop of Sozopolis; the Very Reverend Archimandrite Christodoulos Economou, with the title of Bishop of Magnesia; the Very Reverend Archimandrite Evmenios Vasilopoulos, with the title of Bishop of Kerasounta; and the Very Reverend Archimandrite Prochoros Anastasiadis with the title of Bishop of Charioupolis.”
