Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis)

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) of Andida (1931-2020)

Early life of

On 1 May, 1931, George Rakintzakis was born in Athens, Greece.

George Rakintzakis was raised as an Orthodox Christian, and he was raised in the bosom of the Greek Orthodox Church.

In Athens, George received his primary and secondary education.

Higher education

George Rakintzakis first studied at the Theological and Philosophical School of Athens (1948-1953).

Between 1959 and 1990, George served periodically as a high school teacher and principal.

George continued his education by attending the Teaching School of Secondary Education (1966-1968).

He pursued further studies at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens (1968-1971).

As a recipient of the Greek State Scholarship award, he received the Master of Arts degree in Byzantine History from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 1975.

Upon returning to Greece, George served a two-year term as a reserve artillery officer in the Hellenic Army (as part of the compulsory military service).

In Greece, from 1959-1990, he served in the public education system as a Middle School and High School (Lyceum) Headmaster, and the Superintendent of Secondary Education of the Province of Vyoteia (also known previously as the Bœotia Prefecture, to the west of Athens and the Isthmus of Corinth, and part of the Region of Attica).

From 1975, he served as a Professor at the Athonite Ecclesiastical Academy on Mount Athos (a peninsula in Northeastern Greece, in the region of Central Macedonia). He taught there periodically over the next 8 years.

He was then appointed to the Office of Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto, Ontario.

Monastic tonsure

At some time, George Rakintzakis was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Christophoros (pronounced Chri-sto-for-os).

He belonged to the Hosios Loukas Monastery in Bœotia, Greece.

Ordinations, 1986

On 11 July, 1986, Monk Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Ieronymos (Liapis) of Thebes and Livadia.

On 12 July, 1986, Hierodeacon Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Ieronymos (Liapis) of Thebes and Livadia.

Pastoral service

On 13 July, 1986 Hieromonk Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite at the Holy Metropolis of Thebes and Livadeia by Metropolitan Ieronymos.

Missionary service abroad, 1989-1995

Thereafter, Archimandrite Christophoros (Rakintzakis) worked periodically as a missionary, first in South Korea in 1989, then in Hong Kong in 1992, and again from 1994-1995.

Transfer to Canada, 1997

In 1997, Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, Canada, secured the transfer of Archimandrite Christophoros from Greece to Canada, and therefore also from the Church of Greece to the Church of Constantinople.

From 1997 to 1999, Archimandrite Christophoros (Rakintzakis) served as the parish priest at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto (founded in 1909 as the first Orthodox Christian parish to be established in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

He later served as the Dean of the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (from its founding in 1998, until 2006). In this capacity, he was instrumental in educating the first cohort of students who graduated from the Toronto Academy. Most of them were ordained to the Holy Priesthood, and they began to serve in Greek Orthodox communities throughout the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Canada.

In 1999, upon the recommendation of Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate chose Archimandrite Christophoros (Rakintzakis) to become a bishop.

Episcopal ordination, 1999

On 26 June, 1999, Archimandrite Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Scarborough, in a ceremony full of Byzantine majesty and beauty. Along with Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas), who presided at the ordination, the other ordaining hierarchs who participated in the Ordination Divine Liturgy were : 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 ; and Bishop Vasileios (Karajiannis) of Trimythus from the Church of Cyprus.

Episcopal service

Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was named to be the Titular Bishop of Andida (a former Diocese of the Metropolis of Perga in Anatolia, Asia Minor).

As the Bishop of Andida, Bishop Christophoros began to serve as the Vicar-Bishop to Metropolitan Sotirios of Toronto, Canada.

Bishop Christophoros represented Patriarch Bartholomew I (Archontonis) at the Extraordinary Sobor (Assembly) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada held from 22-24 August, 2008, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

He also took part in the inaugural meeting in the USA of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America from 26-28 May, 2010, as a representative of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada).

Bishop Christophoros at the Annunciation-"Panagia" Cathedral, Toronto, Great Friday, 2014

Retirement, 2017

In 2017, Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) was granted retirement, and he was listed amongst the retired clergy of the Metropolis of Toronto and of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Not long after his retirement, he returned to Athens, Greece, and then to the Hosios Loukas Monastery, of which he was a member. It is situated in Distomo, in western Bœotia.

Repose, 2020

On 14 February, 2020, Bishop Christophoros (Rakintzakis) of Andida (H.B.A., B.Div., B.Ed., M.A) fell asleep in the Lord, at age 89.

On Saturday, 15 February, 2020, a Memorial Divine Liturgy was served in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Entrance of the Theotokos in Livadeia, Bœotia. Following the Divine Liturgy, the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Hierarch was served by Metropolitan George (Mantzouranis) of Thebes and Livadeia, along with other clergy.

Because Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was at the funeral of his grand-nephew, it was impossible that he attend ; but Metropolitan George (Mantzouranis) spoke on his behalf.

After the completion of the funeral services, the body of Bishop Christophoros was interred at the Hosios Loukas Monastery in Bœotia, Greece.

— Bishop of Andida 1999-2017.

— Vicar-Bishop of the Metropolis of Toronto, Canada 1999-2017. Preceded by : Position created. Succeeded by : ___.

— Former Bishop of Andida 2017-2020.

Reflections

At the time of the repose of Bishop Christophoros (who was beloved and respected well beyond the limits of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada), the following article was published on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada web-site :

"The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada mourns the falling asleep in the Lord of Bishop Christophoros of Andida".

As a member of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Church of Constantinople, Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople when he learned of the falling asleep in the Lord of Bishop Christophoros. Immediately, he spoke with Patriarch Bartholomew I (Archontonis) and the other bishops about the life of Bishop Christophoros, and he referred to him as being a “Man of God”. He further remarked on his many contributions as both a priest and bishop in Canada. The archbishop then went down to the Patriarchal Church of Saint George to light a candle for the repose of the soul of Bishop Christophoros.

Upon his return to Toronto, on Sunday, 16 February, 2020, Archbishop Sotirios conducted a memorial service for the repose of Bishop Christophoros’ soul at the Saint John the Theologian Chapel after the Divine Liturgy.

Bishop Christophoros was a humble and diligent worker in the vineyard of the Lord. He served the Greek Orthodox Church in Canada with distinction for more than 20 years. Bishop Christophoros served as the first dean of the Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy, and he was instrumental in cultivating the first number of cohorts of students who graduated from the Academy, were ordained as priests, and who today serve the Greek Orthodox parish communities across Canada.

He was a man of deep faith, with trusting and abiding love in Christ, the Theotokos and the Church. He particularly loved and spoke often about the lives and teachings of the saints. His humility and Christian example brought many people, particularly the youth, to Christ and His Church, and he served as a father confessor to many clergy and laity.

Bishop Christophoros serving