His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago is the second metropolitan to preside over the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, consisting of 58 parishes and 2 monastic communities in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, central Missouri, and northern Indiana.
He was unanimously elected Metropolitan of Chicago, succeeding His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos of blessed memory, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 7, 2018. He was later ordained a Bishop in the Holy Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New York, on March 17, and was enthroned as Metropolitan of Chicago in the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of Chicago on March 24, 2018.
Since his enthronement, His Eminence has implemented policies and programs that establish greater transparency, accountability, and professionalism in the Metropolis of Chicago. He also has sought to prioritize clergy leadership and development; reinvigorated parish life; expanded philanthropy; increased engagement of youth, young adults, converts, and faith seekers; and parish growth through the elimination of debt and other liabilities.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America, Most Honorable Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is the eighth Archbishop of America elected since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is composed of an Archdiocesan District -- New York and eight Metropolises: New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston and Denver. It is governed by the Archbishop and the Eparchial Synod of Bishops. The Synod of Bishops is headed by the Archbishop and comprised of the Bishops who oversee the ministry of the Metropolises. It has all the authority and responsibility which the Church canons provide for a provincial synod.
There are 540 parishes, 800 priests and approximately 1.5 million faithful in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Archdiocese receives within its ranks and under its spiritual aegis and pastoral care Orthodox Christians, who either as individuals or as organized groups in Metropolises and Parishes have voluntarily come to it and which acknowledge the ecclesiastical and canonical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomeos, born Dimitrios X. Archontonis, was born in Agioi Theodorou, Imbro, on February 29, 1940. He attended the circular courses at the Primary School of his village, the Painting High School-Lyceum of Constantinople and the Central School of Imbro. He then studied at the Holy Theological School of Chalkis, the Institute of Oriental Studies in Rome (Gregorian University), the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (Switzerland) and the University of Munich
The Patriarchate of Constantinople is the spiritual center of the Orthodox Church. It is seen as the Mother Church by the ancient Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, by the younger autocephalous Churches of Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland and Albania,and by the autonomous churches of Czechoslovakia, Finland and Estonia.
The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered as the highest authority of the Orthodox Church. Since the sixth century he bears the title of Archbishop of Constantinople, the New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch.
The ecumenicity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople has been ratified by two Ecumenical Councils: the second (Constantinople, 381) and the fourth (Chalcedon, 451). The primatial privileges of the Patriarch of Constantinople were also solemnly reconfirmed by the Council of Trullo in 691. These primatial prerogatives grant the Patriarchate of Constantinople the jurisdiction over all Orthodox Christians who live in countries where there is not a canonical, autonomous or autocephalous, Orthodox jurisdiction.
Other than the Archdiocese of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate today comprises four other dioceses in Turkey (Chalcedon, Derci, Princes' Isles, Imbros and Tenedos). In Greece, the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate extends today over the Islands of the Dodecanese, Crete, Mount Athos and, spiritually, over the dioceses of Northern Greece. Moreover, following the recent emigration of Orthodox Christians from their native countries, this jurisdiction extends over various new dioceses created in Western Europe, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.