Archbishop Iakovos of America facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Iakovos |
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| Archbishop of North and South America | |
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| See | New York, New York, US |
| Enthroned | April 1, 1959 |
| Reign ended | July 29, 1996 |
| Predecessor | Michael |
| Successor | Spyridon |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Demetrios Koukouzes |
| Born | July 29, 1911 Agios Theodoros, Imbros, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | April 10, 2005 (aged 93) Stamford, Connecticut, US |
| Buried | Brookline, Massachusetts, US |
| Nationality | American (naturalized) |
| Parents | Athanasios and Maria Koukouzes |
| Alma mater | Theological School of Halki |
Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America (born Demetrios Koukouzis on July 29, 1911 – died April 10, 2005) was a very important leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America. He served as the head of the church from 1959 until he retired in 1996.
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His Life Story
Demetrios Koukouzis was born on July 29, 1911, in a village called Agios Theodoros on the island of Imvros, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. His parents were Maria and Athanasios Koukouzis. He had two sisters, Virginia and Chrysanthi, and a brother, Panagiotis.
When he was 15, Demetrios joined the Ecumenical Patriarchal Theological School of Halki. He studied very hard and graduated with high honors. In 1934, he became a deacon and took the church name Iakovos.
Five years later, Deacon Iakovos was invited to work for Archbishop Athenagoras. Archbishop Athenagoras was the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America. He later became the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, a very high position in the Orthodox Church.
In 1940, Iakovos became a priest in Lowell, Massachusetts, US. He served at St. George Church in Hartford, Connecticut. He also taught and helped manage the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. In 1941, he became a preacher at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. He also served as a temporary leader at St. Nicholas Church in St. Louis, Missouri in 1942. Later that year, he became the Dean of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Boston, where he stayed until 1954. In 1945, he earned a Master's degree in Sacred Theology from Harvard University.
In 1954, his mentor, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, made him the Bishop of Miletus. For four years, Iakovos represented the Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. On February 14, 1959, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate chose Iakovos to be the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He took over from Archbishop Michael, who had passed away.
Archbishop Iakovos officially started his role on April 1, 1959, at Holy Trinity Cathedral. He became responsible for over 500 churches in the United States. Besides his main duties, he also held many other important roles. He was the president of the education board for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He also started and led the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).
Standing Up for Justice
Archbishop Iakovos was a strong supporter of civil rights. He was one of the few non-African American religious leaders who bravely marched with Martin Luther King Jr. during the famous march in Selma, Alabama. This historic moment was even shown on the cover of Life Magazine on March 26, 1965. The picture shows Archbishop Iakovos walking right next to Martin Luther King Jr.
He had experienced unfair treatment himself as a child. So, he understood why Dr. King was fighting for freedom and equal rights. Archbishop Iakovos said that the Greek Orthodox Church could not just watch and listen. He believed it had to work hard to improve its spiritual life and help others. His strong support helped lead to the passage of new laws that gave everyone equal voting rights.
Important Meetings and Later Years
In 1959, Iakovos met Pope John XXIII. This was a very important meeting because he was the first Greek Orthodox archbishop to meet with a Roman Catholic Pope in 350 years.
He also spent nine years working with the World Council of Churches. He met every U.S. president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the United States.
Later in his life, Iakovos had some disagreements with Patriarch Bartholomew I. This happened after Iakovos supported a plan for Eastern Orthodox churches in America to work more closely together. Many people believe this disagreement led to his resignation in 1996.
Archbishop Iakovos passed away on April 10, 2005, in Stamford Hospital, Connecticut. He died from a lung problem. He was buried on April 15 at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts.
His Special Titles
| Styles of Archbishop Iakovos |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
Archbishop Iakovos was the last leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to be called the Archbishop of North and South America. After him, the title changed to "Archbishop of America."
His full official title was:
His Eminence, Iakovos, Archbishop of North and South America, Exarch of the Lands between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans;
In Greek, this title is:
Η Αυτού Σεβασμιότης ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Βορείου και Νοτίου Αμερικής, Υπέρτιμος και Έξαρχος Ωκεανών Ατλαντικού τε και Ειρηνικού Ιάκωβος
Awards and Honors
Archbishop Iakovos received many awards and honors throughout his life. Here are some of them:
- Humanitarian Award IOCC (1995), from International Orthodox Christian Charities, Chicago, Illinois
- Antiochian Gold Medal of Merit (1995), from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
- Grand Cross of Cyprus (1995), from President of Cyprus Glafkos Klerides, New York, New York
- Kolokotronis Award (1995), from Panarcadian Federation of America, New York, New York
- Great Cross of St. Sava (1992), from Serbian Patriarch Pavle, New York, New York
- Freedom Award (1992), from Pancyprian Association of America, New York, New York
- Gold Medal (1991), from Federation of Hellenic Societies of New York, New York, New York
- Grand Cross of Robert Schuman (1991), Athens, Greece
- Gold Medal of the City of Thessaloniki (1990), Thessaloniki, Greece
- Gold Medal of the City of Athens (1989), from Mayor of Athens Miltiadis Evert, Athens, Greece
- Grand Cross of Makarios III (1989), from President of Cyprus George Vasiliou, New York, New York
- Cross of Lambeth (1988), from Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie, London, England
- Homeric Award (1988), from Chian Federation, New York, New York
- Socratic Award (1988), from Order of AHEPA, Washington, D.C.
- John LaFarge Memorial Award for Interracial Justice (1987), New York, New York
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1986), Ellis Island, New York
- Dr. George C. Cotzias Humanitarian Award (1986), New York, New York
- Liberty Award (1986), from Mayor of New York Edward Koch, New York, New York
- Humanitarian Award (1985), from McBurney School, New York, New York
- AXIOS Man of the Year (1985), Los Angeles, California
- Grand Cross of Honor (1984), from President of Greece Constantine Karamanlis, Athens, Greece
- Gold Medal (1984), from Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- The Compostela Award (1984), from Cathedral of St. John, New York, New York
- Man of the Year Alpha-Omega Award (1984), Boston, Massachusetts
- Silver World Award (1984), from Boy Scouts of America
- Humanitarian Award (1983), from Hellenic Medical Society, New York, New York
- Cyprus Children's Fund (1983)
- Great Cross of the Holy Sepulchre (1982), from Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem
- Man of the Year (1982), from St. Paul's Society, New York, New York
- Clergyman of the Year (1981), from Society for the Family of Man (New York City Council of Churches)
- Inaugural Award (1981), from New York University, New York, New York
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1980), from President of the United States Jimmy Carter, Washington, D.C.
- Alumni Citation (1974), from Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston, Massachusetts
- Sam Levenson Memorial Award (1972), from Jewish Heritage Week
- Man of Conscience Award (1971), from The Appeal of Conscience Foundation
- Clergyman of the Year (1971), from Society for the Family of Man (New York City Council of Churches)
- Distinguished American in Volunteer Service (1970), the White House, Washington, D.C.
- Clergyman of the Year (1970), from Religious Heritage of America
- Religious Leader Award (1969), from National Conference of Christians and Jews
- Gold Medal of Athens (1968), from Mayor of Athens, Demetrios Ritsios, Athens, Greece
- Gold Medal for Courageous Leadership (1966), from National Conference of Christians and Jews, New York, New York
- Great Cross of the Holy Sepulchre (1961), from Patriarch Benedict of Jerusalem
Photo Gallery
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Archbishop Iakovos and President Eisenhower
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Archbishop Iakovos, Patriarch Benedict of Jerusalem and President Kennedy
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Archbishop Iakovos and President Nixon
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Archbishop Iakovos receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Carter
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Archbishop Iakovos and President George H. W. Bush
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Archbishop Iakovos and President Clinton
Books He Wrote
- The Apanta on International Human Rights and on National Issues (University Studio Press, Thessaloniki, 2008) (ISBN: 9789601216928)
- Faith for a Lifetime: A Spiritual Journey (Doubleday, New York, 1988) (ISBN: 0-385-19595-8)
In Movies
Archbishop Iakovos is played by actor Michael Shikany in the 2014 movie Selma.
