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Metr. Panteleimon, ''né'' '''Nikolaos Kontogiannis''', was born on [[February 7]], 1935, in Chios, Greece. In 1957, he successfully graduated with a Master's degree in Theology from the [[Theological School of Halki|Theological Institute of Halki ]] in Turkey. On [[November 28]], 1954, he was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] by [[Metropolitan]] Iakovos of Ikonium, who also gave him the name of Panteleimon. The same metropolitan ordained him as [[priest]] on [[October 18]], 1957.

Since 1957, he has served in Belgium and has created different [[parish]]es. He was promoted as [[archimandrite]] and then Episcopal Vicar of the Archdiocese of France for Belgium and Luxembourg. When the Ecumenical Patriarchate created the Archdiocese of Belgium and Exarchate of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, he was named as its first [[chancellor]]. In 1974, he was unanimously elected by the [[Holy Synod]] of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as [[auxiliary bishop]] of the Metropolitan of Belgium with the title of ''Bishop of Apollonia''. In December of 1982, he was unanimously elected by the Holy Synod as Metropolitan of Belgium.