BOSTON – His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel Geron of Chalcedon was bestowed with an honorary degree from the Theological School of the University of Athens on November 1 in the Official Hall of Ceremonies of the University.

His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece honored with his presence the hierarch who is first in rank in hierarchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate after Patriarch Bartholomew. Also present were many hierarchs from the Church of Greece and abroad, government officials, politicians, academicians and many priests and laity from Athens and other areas.

After the official announcement by the President of the Athens University Professor Meletios-Athanasios Demopoulos, Professor Emmanuel Karageorgoudis spoke about the work and character of Metropolitan Emmanuel.

After the ceremony of bestowing of the honorary degree Metropolitan Emmanuel delivered an excellent theological speech analyzing ‘The Light” and ‘The Miracle’ based on the Doctrine of Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. He said among other things, “please allow me to base my humble speech on two points, the transcendent and as well as the natural [dimensions] of The Light and The Miracle. The Light ‘magnifies’ the city of Athens – the place gains new perspectives as it gives birth to whatever supports and inspires [the forces] of Life that oppose the fear of death…and the Light of Attica…discloses a likeness of [the Truth of the Divine Logos.”

He also said that, “God places moments of The Miracle on the spatiotemporal map of human history. The Miracle is not an alarming event which terrifies people. It is the God-given revelation of the secure way towards the destination of our [spiritual] journey.”

After the academic ceremony tenor Ioannis Filas presented an music program from his international classic repertory.

His Eminence, Geron Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of Chalcedon was born in Agios Nikolaos, Crete on December 19, 1958, where he received his primary education.

He studied at the Pedagogical Academy of Heraklion, Crete, and completed his studies at the Faculty of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Paris in parallel with his theological studies at the Theological Institute of Saint Sergius in Paris. In 1984, he received a master’s degree from the Ecumenical Institute of the Catholic University of Paris, and the following year received another master’s degree from the Sorbonne University (Paris IV) in History of Religions.

He was ordained to the diaconate and then priesthood in 1985. In 1987, he received a master’s degree from Holy Cross School of Theology in Boston and assumed responsibilities as Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Belgium while simultaneously serving as hierarchal proistamenos of the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Brussels. For twenty years (1994-2014) he headed the Office of the Orthodox Church at the European Union.

On September 5, 1996, he was unanimously elected bishop of the once-glorious Diocese of Reghion by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and served as Auxiliary Bishop to the Metropolitan of Belgium.

On January 20, 2003, he was unanimously elected Metropolitan of France by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and was at the same time appointed to represent the Ecumenical Patriarchate in both the Theological Dialogue between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Academic Meetings with Islam and Judaism. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the KAICIID Dialogue Center in Vienna, Co-moderator of Religions for Peace International, and former President of the Conference of European Churches (KEK). He has been a participant in numerous ecumenical and scientific conferences.

On February 16, 2021, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously elected him Geron Metropolitan of Chalcedon.