Sotirios Trambas ( el, Σωτήριος Τράμπας; 17 July 1929 – 10 June 2022) was a Greek Orthodox prelate, who served as Orthodox Metropolitan of Korea from 2004 to 2008.

Biography

Trambas was born in Arta in 1929. He graduated from the Theological School of the University of Athens in 1951. He served his military service at the Military Department of Religion and preached at the military units of Northern Greece. In 1956, he was tonsured monk of the Holy Monastery of Leimonos in

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. He was ordained Deacon and served as a preacher at the Metropolis of Methymnis. In 1961 he was ordained Priest and received the office of

Archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...

. In 1963, he returned to the

Greek Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

and served as chaplain in the Evros area. From 1969 to 1974, he held the office of Chancellor (senior Archimandrite) of the Archdiocese of Athens. While at this position he established and organized the Center for Family Support and other public welfare institutions of the Archdiocese of Athens. In November 1975, he volunteered to serve the Orthodox Church in Korea, and with permission from the Holy Synod of Constantinople, became Dean of the St. Nicholas Church in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. In 1986, he was appointed to be the chairman of the Orthodox Eastern Mission. As chairman, he translated Greek church texts into Korean and founded the monastery, a seminary and several parishes in Korea and in other places in Asia. Then in 1991, he was elected an auxiliary bishop of the Metropolis of New Zealand and Exarch of Korea and was given the title of Bishop of Zelon, and after more than a decade in 2004 he was elected first Metropolitan of newly established Orthodox Metropolis of Korea by the Holy Synod of Constantinople. He also received an honorary citizenship of the Seoul in 2000. In 2008, he resigned voluntarily as Metropolitan of Korea for health reasons. The Holy Synod of Constantinople accepted his resignation and elected him Metropolitan of

Pisidia Pisidia (; grc-gre, Πισιδία, ; tr, Pisidya) was a region of ancient Asia Minor located north of Pamphylia, northeast of Lycia, west of Isauria and Cilicia, and south of Phrygia, corresponding roughly to the modern-day province of An ...

(Turkey).

References

External links

Official biography of Sotirios Trambas

Sotirios Trambas
at Orthodoxia
Sotirios (Trambas) of Pisidia
at OrthodoxWiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Trambas, Sotirios 1929 births 2022 deaths People from Arta, Greece National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni Bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Korean bishops 20th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops 20th-century Greek people 21st-century Eastern Orthodox bishops 21st-century Greek people Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece Greek theologians Greek philosophers Greek writers Greek religious writers Eastern Orthodox missionaries in South Korea Greek expatriates in South Korea