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Fanari: The announcement of the Holy and Holy Synod on the election of the new Archbishop of Canadatranslated

July 22, 2026 · 1 min read

The Holy and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate convened on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, under the presidency of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr. Bartholomew. According to the announcement of the Archsecretariat of the Holy and Holy Synod issued after the end of the work and as you were informed earlier by the "ORTHODOXY" Agency, the Holy and Holy Synod accepted the submitted resignation from the active service of the Venerable Archbishop of Canada Mr. Sotiriou, to whom he expressed the absolute satisfaction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for his long and conscientious ministry.

Then, following a proposal and suggestion from His Holiness, the Holy and Holy Synod elected by unanimous vote from the three-person constituted new Archbishop of Canada Mr. Apostolos of New Jersey.

In detail, the announcement of the General Secretariat of the Holy and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the work of Wednesday, July 22, 2026: "The Holy and Holy Synod, meeting today, July 22, 2026, under the presidency of His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew, accepted the submitted resignation from the active service of Rev. Archbishop...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (4) 🌐 Show original

Ελένη Χατζή

I am glad that they accepted the resignation of His Holiness Sotirius so gratefully, after so many years in Canada. The new Archbishop Apostolos from New Jersey is worthy, I have known him for a long time. I pray that God will help him in his new work.

James Bennett

I see Archbishop Sotirios finally got to step down after all those years up here. Good they thanked him properly for the long haul. Praying Archbishop Apostolos hits the ground running in Canada; we’ve got plenty of work waiting for him in Ottawa.

Christopher Wilson

Yeah, Sotirios put in a lot of steady years up there. I met him once at a clergy retreat in Chicago back in the early 2000s; he always struck me as the kind of guy who just kept showing up. Hope Apostolos brings that same patience to the parishes out west, because from what I hear the distances and winters don’t make it easy.

Ζωή Λαμπροπούλου

I agree, gratitude for Venerable Sotirius was the least he deserved after all these years. As for Apostolos, I remember seeing him at a gathering years ago in New York, he looked calm and practical. I hope he finds his stride quickly in Canada, especially with the churches in need of stability.