Christophoros

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) , born George Rakintzakis (May 1, 1931, Athens, Greece – February 14, 2020, Greece), H.B.A., B.Div., B.Ed., M.A., was the first Vicar-Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (1999–2017), and the titular Bishop of Andida (1999–2020). He also served as the first Dean of the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy from October 1997 through to June 2006. In addition, he was a brother of the historic Hosios Loukas monastery in Boeotia, Greece. He officially retired in 2017 and resided in Greece for the remainder of his life.

Life

Christophoros of Andida was born George Rakintzakis on 1 May 1931, in Athens, Greece.

Education and training

He studied at the Theological School of the University of Athens from 1948 to 1953.

After attending the Teaching School of Secondary Education from 1966 to 1968, he pursued further studies at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens, from 1968 to 1971. |group=note

In Greece he had also previously completed his military service over a two-year term as a reserve artillery officer in the Hellenic Army. |group=note

From 1990 to 1991 he was the Superintendent of Secondary Education in the Province of Vyoteia (Boeotia Prefecture). then in Hong Kong in 1992 and again from 1994–1995. |group=note During his deanship the first cohorts of students graduated from the Academy, were ordained as priests, and proceeded to serve Greek Orthodox communities across Canada.

In 1999 he was named as titular Bishop of Andida, which was a former Diocese of the Metropolis of Pergis in Asia Minor. He was elected Auxiliary Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) on June 10, 1999 and was ordained as Bishop on June 26, 1999. The consecration took place at the Church of St. Nicholas in Scarborough, with five consecrating hierarchs participating:

Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas), who presided at the consecration; Metropolitan Anthony (Gergiannakis) of Dardanellion and San Francisco; Metropolitan Maximos (Aghiorgoussis) of Ainos and Pittsburgh; Bishop Yurij (Kalistchuk) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada; and Bishop Vasileios (Karayannis) of Trimythountos from the Church of Cyprus.

Christophoros attended the Extraordinary Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada held from August 22–24, 2008 in Saskatoon, representing Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Bishop Christophoros also took part at the inaugural meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America from May 26–28, 2010, representing the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada).

Death

Bishop Christophoros died on February 14, 2020, aged 89, in Greece. He was interred at the Hosios Loukas monastery in Boeotia, Greece, where he was a brother.