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[[Image:DamaskinosStatue.jpg|thumb|Statue of Archbishop Damaskinos near the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens]]
His Beatitude '''Damaskinos (Papandreou) of Athens and All Greece''' was the [[primate]] of the [[Church of Greece]] for two periods: in 1938 for a month and from 1941 to 1949 during the Second World War. He also served as regent of [[Greece]] between the retreat of the German occupation force from Greece in 1944 and the return of King George II in 1946. His rule marked the reconstruction of Greece after German occupation during World War II and the unrest spanning the beginning of the shooting phase of the Greek Civil War.
==Metropolitan of Corinth - Arbiter in America==
On [[April 22]], 1928, Corinth was destroyed by a massive earthquake. Damaskinos led a massive effort to raise funds for the reconstruction of the city, which prompted him to tour American cities to solicit the help of the Greek-American community. While in America, he witnessed the difficulties which the Greek community was experiencing and was solicited by the leaders of the community to offer assistance. When the [[Church of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarchate]] and the Church of Greece resolved to address the matter shortly thereafter, Damaskinos was prevailed upon to accept an appointment as Patriarchal [[Exarch]] to investigate and offer a resolution to the crisis. He arrived in New York on [[May 20]], 1930 and spent the next nine months working with [[clergy ]] and [[laity|lay ]] representatives. It was Damaskinos who recommended that Metropolitan [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras of Corfu]] be sent to America to replace the incumbent Archbishop [[Alexander (Demoglou) of America|Alexander]].
==Nazi occupation==
According to '''The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation''' the appeal of Damaskinos and his fellow Greeks is unique as no document similar to the protest against the Nazis during World War II has come to light in any other European country.
The letter reads, in part reads:
<blockquote>''"The Greek Orthodox Church and the Academic World of Greek People Protest against the Persecution... The Greek people were... deeply grieved to learn that the German Occupation Authorities have already started to put into effect a program of gradual deportation of the Greek Jewish community... and that the first groups of deportees are already on their way to Poland...''
After the occupation ended, Damaskinos was proclaimed regent of Greece until the return of the king from exile. During this time, fighting broke out between pro-royalist Greek soldiers and communist partisans. He took control of the situation in his early term, appointing himself Prime Minister during late 1945. Though he wielded little power in his latter term, Damaskinos continued to call for peace and order in the country. He relinquished his position after fighting began to die down and recalled the king formally on [[September 28]], 1946.
Following the regency, he continued to speak out against the oppression of Greeks during the civil war. At one point he appealed to the United Nations and the [[World Council of Churches]] for help in halting the seizure of children by guerrillas. He perfomed performed the marriage of King Michael of Romania, who had been exiled by the Communist government, and spoke out against the persecution of Cardinal Mindszenty by the government of Hungary.
He died in Athens in on [[May 20]], 1949. In 1971 , he was postumously recognized by the Yad Vashem Memorial Foundation along with the Metropolitan of Thessalonika and other Greek leaders for his efforts in saving Jews during the OooupationOccupation.
A statue of Damaskinos stands outside the [[Metropolitan Cathedral]] in Athens.
before=[[Chrysanthos (Philippidis) of Athens|Chrysanthos (Philippidis)]]|
title=[[List of Archbishops of Athens|Archbishop of Athens and All Greece]]|
years=1938-1938|
after=Chrysanthos (Philippidis)}}
{{succession|
before=Chrysanthos (Philippidis)|
title=Archbishop of Athens and All Greece|
years=1941-1949|
after=[[Spyridon (Vlachos) of Athens|Spyridon (Vlachos)]]}}
<!-- #{{note|USHMM}}Quoted from [http://www.ushmm.org/greece/eng/athens.htm United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]. -->
==Other Sources==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archbishop_Damaskinos&oldid=106499165 Wikipedia entry: Archbishop Damaskinos]
*''Damaskinos Dies in Greece at 58'', The New York Times, May 21, 1949
*[[George (Papaioannou) of New Jersey|George Papaioannou]], "Damaskinos of Corinthos: His Contributions to the Development of the Archdiocese" in Efthimiou, Rev. Miltiades B., ''History of the Greek Orthodox Church in America'', Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, New York 1984
* [http://www.raoulwallenberg.net/?en/news/2953/2992.htm The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation:Archbishop Damaskinos]
[[Category:Archbishops of Athens]]
[[Category:Bishops of Corinth]]
[[Category: University of Athens Theology School Graduates]]