Metropolis of Nairobi
The Holy Archdiocese of Kenya is a diocese in eastern Africa under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Prior to its formation in 2001, the archdiocese was part of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis.
Today, the Orthodox community of Kenya is the most numerous on the African continent, and consists of about a million parishioners out of an overall population of 35 million in the country. The Kenyan Archdiocese of the Alexandrian Patriarchate has about 200 churches, dozens of church parochial schools and a seminary in Riruta.[1]
Ruling Bishops
- George (Gathuna) (1973 — 1979)[2][note 1]
- Irenaeus (Talambekos) 1994 — 1996
- Petros (Giakoumelos) (1996 — 1997)
- Seraphim (Kykkotis) (1997 — 2001)
- Makarios (Tillyrides) (2001 — Present)
See also
Notes
- ↑ On November 30th 1979 Bishop George (Arthur) Gathuna was defrocked, caused by what he called a problem of leadership and authority. However, the Patriarchate accused him of a lack of vision. Following his defrocking Bishop George (Arthur) Gathuna joined a schismatic group under a bishop in Greece that followed the old calendar (Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili - Holy Synod in Resistance). Several other Orthodox Christians in Kenya followed him. On July 16, 1987, the defrocked Bishop George (Arthur) Gathuna reposed, and his burial was attended by Metropolitan Cyprianos from the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Greece. Eventually however, the schism was healed, and on November 1, 2006, Bishop George (Arthur) Gathuna of Nitria (first Bishop of Kenya and the first Kenyan Missionary to the people of Bunyore) was reinstated posthumously by Patriarch Theodoros II and the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
References
- ↑ Orthodox churches in Kenya are dedicated to Russian saints. Interfax-Religion. 21 April 2010, 12:32.
- ↑ GEORGE (Gathuna), Bishop of Nitria. Orthodox Research Institute. Retrieved: 2013-04-19.
Sources
External Links
- Makarios (Tillyrides) of Kenya. The Origin of Orthodoxy in East Africa. Orthodox Research Institute.
- Amos Masaba Akunda. Orthodox Christian dialogue with Banyore culture. Th.D.Thesis. University of South Africa, June 2010. 334 pages.
- "Orthodox Christianity came to the Banyore people of western Kenya in 1942...I shall examine the relation between Orthodox Christianity and Banyore culture, and show how Orthodox Christianity, in dialogue with the Banyore people, became indigenised in Bunyore culture. Thus Orthodox Christians in Bunyore do not see Orthodoxy as something foreign, but as something that has become part of their own culture."
- Peter Lemieux. Kenya’s Orthodox Miracle. CNEWA. Vol 34:5 (September), 2008.
- From The Heart Of Africa: An interview with Fr. Phillip Gatari, an Orthodox priest from Kenya. December 8, 2012.
- Journey to Orthodoxy. Orthodox Church in Kenya Destroyed. Orthodox Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. January 17, 2008.
