Christophoros (Rakintzakis) facts for kids

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was an important leader in the Greek Orthodox Church in Canada. He was born George Rakintzakis on May 1, 1931, in Athens, Greece, and passed away on February 14, 2020. He served as the first Vicar-Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) from 1999 to 2017. He was also known as the titular Bishop of Andida. From 1997 to 2006, he was the first Dean of the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy. Bishop Christophoros was also a brother at the historic Hosios Loukas monastery in Greece. He retired in 2017 and lived in Greece until his death.

His Life Story

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) of Andida.

Bishop Christophoros, whose birth name was George Rakintzakis, was born in Athens, Greece, on May 1, 1931.

His Education and Learning

He began his studies at the Theological School of the University of Athens from 1948 to 1953.

Later, he attended the Teaching School for Secondary Education from 1966 to 1968. He then continued his studies at the School of Philosophy at the University of Athens from 1968 to 1971.

Bishop Christophoros received a special scholarship from the Greek government. This allowed him to study further in Great Britain. He focused on pedagogy, which is the study of teaching, at the UCL Institute of Education in London from 1971 to 1972. After that, he earned his Master of Arts degree in Byzantine History from the University of Birmingham between 1973 and 1975.

Before his advanced studies, he also completed two years of military service in Greece. He served as an artillery officer in the Hellenic Army.

Working as a Teacher

From 1959 to 1990, he worked as a high school and Lyceum headmaster. A headmaster is like a principal. Starting in 1975, he also taught at the Athonite Ecclesiastical Academy on Mount Athos for eight years.

From 1990 to 1991, he was the Superintendent of Secondary Education in the Boeotia area of Greece. This meant he oversaw many schools.

After that, he worked for the Greek Consulate General in Toronto from 1991 to 1993. He helped with educational matters there.

Becoming a Church Leader

George Rakintzakis became a Deacon on July 11, 1986. A deacon is the first step in becoming a priest. The very next day, on July 12, 1986, he became a priest. Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes and Livadia performed these ordinations. On July 13, 1986, he was given the title of Archimandrite. This is a high rank for a priest.

He also worked as a missionary, helping to spread the Christian faith. He served in South Korea in 1989. Then he went to Hong Kong in 1992, and again from 1994 to 1995.

In Toronto, Christophoros became the parish priest at Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church from 1997 to 1999. At the same time, he became the first Dean of the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy. He held this role from October 1997 to June 2006. He played a key part in guiding the first groups of students who graduated from the Academy. Many of these students later became priests and served Greek Orthodox communities across Canada.

In 1999, he was named the titular Bishop of Andida. This title refers to a former church area in Asia Minor. On June 10, 1999, he was chosen to be the Auxiliary Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada). He was officially ordained as a Bishop on June 26, 1999. This special ceremony, called a consecration, took place at the Church of St. Nicholas in Scarborough. Five important church leaders, called hierarchs, took part, including:

• Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas), who led the ceremony.
• 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.
• Bishop Vasileios (Karayannis) of Trimythountos from the Church of Cyprus.

Bishop Christophoros also represented Patriarch Bartholomew I at a special meeting of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. This meeting was held in Saskatoon from August 22–24, 2008.

He also attended the first meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America. This meeting was from May 26–28, 2010. He represented the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) there.

His Passing

Bishop Christophoros passed away on February 14, 2020, in Greece. He was 89 years old. His body was placed at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Livadeia on February 15. This allowed people to pay their respects during the church service. His funeral service took place right after. He was buried at the Hosios Loukas monastery in Boeotia, Greece, where he had been a brother.

Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Canada spoke about Bishop Christophoros. He called him a "Man of God" and highlighted his important work as a priest and bishop in Canada. People said he had deep faith and a strong love for Christ and the Church. He especially loved talking about the lives and teachings of the saints. His humble nature and Christian example encouraged many people, especially young people, to come to the Church. He also served as a spiritual guide for many clergy and regular church members.