Greek
imkitrous.gr
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Patriarch Kallinikos Kyparissis (1800-1889)
The Scottish Pierias
Konstantinos Kyparissis, the later patriarch of Alexandria (1858-1861), was born in 1800 in Skotina Pieria, Kato Olympus. At a very young age, in 1808, he showed interest in the solitary life and studied at the Greek school of Tsaritsanis. He was ordained a prodigal in 1820 and five years later 1825 was ordained a hieromonk.
In 1829 he was in the metropolis of Serres for a case of the monastery of Olympias and met the Metropolitan of Serres Porphyrios, who proposed to him the position of the protosyncellus of his metropolis, which Kallinikos accepted. One year later, in 1830, he followed Porphyrios to Mytilene, which had been transferred, he also assumed the position of the protosyngelos. In 1840 he was given by the Ecumenical Patriarch German IV the office of the Great Protosyncellus of the Ecumenical Throne.
On April 15, 1842, he was ordained Metropolitan of Mytilene. During the years of his pastorate, he managed through the positive climate he cultivated with the Gate to achieve the construction of the holy church of St. Therapon in the center of Mytilene, the organization of its schools, preserving and building new and the recruitment of Greek teachers from free Greece. It also succeeded in the establishment of the High School of Mytilene and the organization and strengthening of its hospital. His important social contribution was to change legislation with a circular of the customs concerning engagements, marriages, baptisms, etc., which was in force since 1754.
In March 1853 Kallinikos was transferred to the metropolitan throne of Thessaloniki, and had a primary role in the neighboring eight bishops which were: Kitrous, Campania, Platamon, Servia and Kozani, Polyanis and Vardarians, Petra, Ardamer, Ierissos and Mount Athos. On December 8, 1855, he was appointed supervisor of the patriarchal Stavropegic monastery of Saint Dionysios Olympus, in order to apply the new regulation of the monastery drafted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He did not forget his birthplace, since at his own expense he contributed to the construction of the school of Ano Scottina. He bequeathed to the monastery of St. Dionysios the sum of 300 ottoman pounds for the payroll of teachers. Intense was the diplomatic background of the correspondence for the election of Kallinikos to the patriarchal Throne of Alexandria. Kallinikos initially did not accept the election and asked to remain on the metropolitan Throne of Thessaloniki. Revealing for this is the confidential correspondence between the ambassador to Istanbul Andreas G. Kountouriotis and Greek Foreign Minister Alexandros R. Ragawi. After two months of intense behind-the-scenes consultations, Metropolitan Kallinikos of Thessaloniki accepted the election and on the same day (14 March 1858) on the same afternoon at 17:00 his enthronement as patriarch of Alexandria took place.
On 26 January 1858, Thessaloniki Kallinikos was voted by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the Throne of Alexandria, and his election was announced on January 31, 1858. He immediately departed for Alexandria, so that he could immediately take office. In his multifaceted work his good relations with the Coptic Patriarch Kirill V stand out, as well as his involvement in the return of Uniate clergy from the Patriarchate of Antioch in December 1860. Because of the problems that appeared in his health, he decided to participate himself in the National Assembly that would take place in Constantinople, to defend the issues concerning his Patriarchate. A problem was created with this participation, because the Ecumenical Patriarch Kirrill VII had asked only delegates to participate. Kallinikos, due to the illness of the Ecumenical Patriarch, took over as president of the synod in question. His contribution to the solution of problems faced by the Orthodox Churches of Wallachia and Moldova was also important. He also managed rightly, financial aid from Russia for the construction of temples, schools and hospital. One thing is certain that his interest was incompatible for both the monastery of Olympias and the province of Mytilene. But the burden of his health led him to his abdicate from the patriarchal throne of Alexandria on May 25, 1861. Three times he was a candidate for the Ecumenical Throne.
The decision he made was for the rest of his life was to settle in Mytilene. With the arrival on the island, the elders declared him an honorary citizen. He made a trip to the birthplace, visited the monastery of Olympiotissa, Skotina, and made a trip to Jerusalem. In Mytilene, when he stayed permanently, he was not inactive. He dealt not only with purely ecclesiastical issues but also with issues related to education and care. He actively participated in the earthquakes of 1867 in Mytilene and 1881 in Chios, organizing the help to the earthquake victims. He tried to resolve the monastic issue with the monastery of Limonos. He drafted and signed his will on April 2, 1889.
On July 12, 1889, he slept and was buried behind the sacred step of the metropolitan church of Mytilene.
The Head of the Church of St. Nicholas
Leptokaryas Pierias
Oikonomou
p. Athanasios Tsarouchas
