New Archbishop for Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

September 18, 1999

Source: The New York Times

On September 18, 1999, The New York Times published an article on the enthronement of Metropolitan Demetrios, new Archbishop for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The previous Archbishop Spyridon, resigned on August 19th, 1999 after a three year reign amid claims that he was "acting in an autocratic manner" in an American political culture that prefers a democratic decision-making style. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America had openly discussed autocephaly, or independence, from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey because of the problems with Archbishop Spyridon. The appointment of Archbishop Demetrios has been met with praise, prompting the Greek Orthodox American Leaders who were most critical of Archbishop Spyridon to issue a statement calling Demetrios a man "of deep spirituality and intellectual strength."