Church of Greece structure

The structure of the Church of Greece is unique in that it does not included all the area of the nation of Greece within its jurisdiction. The Orthodox ecclesiastical structure in the nation of Greece reflects the secular political actions during the formation of the nation of Greece beginning from its establishment in the second decade of the nineteenth century.

The Church of Greece was formed after a portion of the present day nation won its independence from the Ottoman empire in the 1820s and received autocephalous status from the Church of Constantinople in the mid 1800s. This area included the southern part of the peninsula of Greece consisting mainly of the Peloponnese peninsula and included Athens and Attica and some of the Greek islands. Following the Balkan Wars in the first decades of the twentieth century, Greece grew, adding to the nation of Greece the territories in Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace, referred to as the New Lands, many of the islands in the Aegean Sea, and the island of Crete. However, ecclesiastical jurisdiction over most of these territories remained with the Church of Constantinople. Following World War II, the Dodecanese Islands in the southern part of the Aegean Sea also became part of the nation of Greece but ecclesiastically remained under the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople.

During the period following World War I, agreements were reached among the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of Greece, and the Government of Greece concerning the News Lands in which the New Lands remained within the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople but de facto were made part of the Church of Greece for administration under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople and under which the Ecumenical Patriarch is commemorated.

Thus, the structure of the Orthodox Church within the nation of Greece is divided into three categories:

• that part fully under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece as the Archdiocese of Athens,
• that part consisting of the New Lands that is jurisdictionally under the Ecumenical Patriarchate but administered as part of the Archdiocese of Athens, and
• that part, Crete and the Dodecanese Islands, that is fully under the jurisdiction and administration of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Archdiocese of Athens

Metropolis of Aitolia and Akarnania Metropolis of Argolida Metropolis of Arta Metropolis of Attica Metropolis of Glyfada Metropolis of Gortyna and Megalopolis Metropolis of Gytheion and Oetylos Metropolis of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina Metropolis of Kaisariani, Vyrona and Imittos Metropolis of Kalavryta and Aigialia Metropolis of Karpenision Metropolis of Karystia and Skyros Metropolis of Kefalonia Metropolis of Kitros, Katerini and Platamona Metropolis of Korinthos

Metropolis of Kythira Metropolis of Larisa and Tyrnavos Metropolis of Lefkas and Ithaca Metropolis of Mantinia and Kynouria Metropolis of Maroneia and Komotini Metropolis of Megara and Salamis Metropolis of Mesogea and Lavreotiki Metropolis of Messenia Metropolis of Monemvasia and Sparta Metropolis of Mytilene Metropolis of Nafpaktos Metropolis of Nea Ionia and Philadelphia Metropolis of Nea Smyrni Metropolis of Nicea Metropolis of Paramythia Metropolis of Paronaxia

Metropolis of Patra Metropolis of Peiraeus Metropolis of Peristeri Metropolis of Sidirokastron Metropolis of Stages and Meteora Metropolis of Syros, Tinos, Andros, Kea, and Milos Metropolis of Thessaliotis and Fanariofersala Metropolis of Thessaloniki Metropolis of Theva and Levadeia Metropolis of Thera, Amorgos and Islands Metropolis of Trifylia and Olympia Metropolis of Trikala and Stages Metropolis of Veria and Naousa Metropolis of Xanthi Metropolis of Zakynthos and Strofades Metropolis of Zihni and Nevrokopio

Metropolises of the New Lands in Greece that are within the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople but de facto are administered for practical reasons as part of the Church of Greece under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople:

Metropolis of Alexandroupolis, Traianoupolis and Samothrace Metropolis of Didymotichon, Orestias and Soufli Metropolis of Drama Metropolis of Filippoi, Neapolis and Thasos Metropolis of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastron

Metropolis of Grevena Metropolis of Ierissos, Agion Oros and Ardamerion Metropolis of Ioannina Metropolis of Kassandreia Metropolis of Kastoria

Metropolis of Lagkada Metropolis of Lemnos Metropolis of Mithimna Metropolis of Mytiline Metropolis of Neapolis and Stavroupolis Metropolis of Nea Krini and Kalamaria Metropolis of Nikopolis and Preveza Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkis Metropolis of Samos and Ikaria Metropolis of Servia and Kozani Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita Metropolis of Sisanio and Siatista