The Metropolis of France, or the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France (french: Métropole grecque orthodoxe de France, el, Μητρόπολη Γαλλίας, translit=Mitropoli Gallias), is a diocese of the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

established in 1963. It comprises the

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

parishes and monasteries in France. Historically, its congregation mainly consisted of people of Greek descent, but following the disestablishment of the Paris-based Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenicl Patriarchate in November 2018, a significant number of the parishes of the former Exarchate have joined the Metropolis while retaining their Russian liturgical tradition.

History and organisation

The diocese was established on 5 February 1963 and at the time comprised the Greek Orthodox parishes in France,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. Metropolitan Meletios Karabinis (1914–1993) was appointed as its primate on 22 October 1963 and remained in charge of the Metropolis until his resignation for health reasons on 9 June 1988. In August 1969, the Greek parishes in Belgium and Luxemburg were incorporated into a newly established

Metropolis of Belgium A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

. Likewise, in 2003 the parishes in Spain and Portugal were incorporated into the Metropolis of Spain and Portugal. Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis has been in charge of the Metropolis since 20 January 2003. The diocese currently has two assistant bishops: Irineos Avramidis and Maxim Paphilis.

Vicariate of Russian tradition of the Metropolis of France

In November 2019, it was officially re-affirmed that the parishes and communities, formerly in the jurisdiction the disbanded Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe (the Ecumenical Patriarchate), which had joined the Metropolis of France, would be grouped into the "vicariate of Russian tradition of the Metropolis of France" in January 2020.

Primates

* Mélétios (Karabinis) (22 October 1963 - 9 June 1988) * Jérémie (Calligiorgis) (9 June 1988 - 20 January 2003) * Emmanuel (Adamakis) (20 January 2003 - 16 February 2021) * Dimitrios (Ploumis) (since 25 July 2021)

Structure

The metropolis is organized in three geographical entities: * the Northern Episcopal Vicariate (

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

), * the Central Episcopal Vicariate (

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

), * the Southern Episcopal Vicariate (

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

References

External links

Official site
(in French and Greek) {{Christianity in France Archbishops of Orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe Eastern Orthodoxy in Belgium Eastern Orthodox dioceses in Portugal Eastern Orthodox dioceses in Spain Russian diaspora in France Christianity in Paris 1963 establishments in France Christian organizations established in 1963 Dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Eastern Orthodox dioceses in France