Bust statue of Athenagoras I, born Aristocles Matthew Spyrou, initially the Greek archbishop in North America, was the 268th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, from 1948 to 1972.
Made of cast bronze, the statue is slightly less than lifesize, shown wearing a Klobuk.
"Athenagoras was born to a Greek family as Aristocles Matthew Spyrou on April 6 [O.S. March 25] 1886 in the village of Vasiliko, near Ioannina, Epirus (then Ottoman Empire). He was the son of Matthew N. Spyrou, a doctor, and Helen V. Mokoros. Athenagoras devoted himself to religion at an early age because of the encouragement he received from his mother and a priest from his village. After completing his secondary education in 1906, he entered the Holy Trinity Theological School at Halki, near Istanbul, and was ordained a deacon in 1910.
Upon graduating, he was tonsured a monk, given the name Athenagoras, and ordained to the diaconate. He served as archdeacon of the Diocese of Pelagonia before becoming the secretary to Archbishop Meletius (Metaxakis) of Athens in 1919. While still a deacon, he was elected the Metropolitan of Corfu in 1922 and straightway raised to the episcopacy.
Returning from a fact-finding trip to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America in 1930, Metropolitan Damaskinos recommended to Patriarch Photios II that he appoint Metropolitan Athenagoras to the position of Archbishop of North and South America as the best person to bring harmony to the American diocese. The patriarch made the appointment on August 30, 1930.
When Archbishop Athenagoras assumed his new position on February 24, 1931, he was faced with the task of bringing unity and harmony to a diocese that was racked with dissension between Royalists and Republicans (Venizelists), who had virtually divided the country into separate dioceses. To correct that, he centralized the ecclesiastical administration in the Archdiocese offices with all other bishops serving as auxiliaries, appointed to assist the archbishop, without dioceses and administrative rights of their own. He actively worked with his communities to establish harmony. He expanded the work of the clergy-laity congresses and founded the Holy Cross School of Theology. Through his capable and fatherly leadership he withstood early opposition and gained the love and devotion of his people.
Archbishop Athenagoras consecrated the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on New York City's Upper East Side on October 22, 1933. He called it: "The Cathedral of all of Hellenism in America."
In 1938, Athenagoras was naturalized as a United States citizen.
On November 1, 1948, he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople at the age of 61. In January 1949, he was honored to be flown in the personal airplane of the American president Harry Truman to Istanbul, Turkey to assume his new position. As Patriarch, he was actively involved with the World Council of Churches and improving relations with the Roman Catholic Pontiff, the Pope of Rome.
He was hospitalized on July 6, 1972 for a broken hip, but died from kidney failure in Istanbul (Constantinople) the following day at the age of 87. He was buried in the cemetery within the grounds of the Church of Saint Mary of the Spring in Balikli, Istanbul.
Athenagoras's meeting with Pope Paul VI in 1964 in Jerusalem led to rescinding the excommunications of 1054 which historically mark the Great Schism, the schism between the churches of the East and West. This was a significant step towards restoring communion between Rome and Constantinople and the other patriarchates of Orthodoxy. It produced the Catholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965, which was read out on December 7, 1965, simultaneously at a public meeting of the Second Vatican Council in Rome and at a special ceremony in Constantinople.
The controversial declaration did not end the 1054 schism, but rather showed a desire for greater reconciliation between the two churches, as represented by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. Not all Orthodox leaders, however, received the declaration with joy. Metropolitan Philaret of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad openly challenged the Patriarch's efforts at rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church fearing it would lead to heresy, in his 1965 epistle to the Patriarch."
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Kataskevasméno apó chálkino chytopresaristó, to ágalma eínai elafrós mikrótero apó to lifesize, pou deíchnei óti foráei éna Klobuk.
"O Patriárchis Konstantinoupóleos Athinagóras (6 Aprilíou 1886 - 7 Ioulíou 1972) genníthike sta Tsaraplaná (simerinó Vasilikó) tis Ipeírou, pou ekeíni tin período akómi apoteloúse édafos tis Othomanikís Aftokratorías, kai to kosmikó tou ónoma ítan Aristoklís Dimítrios Spýrou.
To 1903 eisíchthi sti Theologikí Scholí Chálkis. To 1910, élave to ptychío tou sti theología, ekári monachós kai cheirotoníthike diákonos. To 1919, o tóte Archiepískopos Athinón Melétios Metaxákis ton prosélave archidiákono kai grammatéa tis Archiepiskopís. Metá tin epikrátisi tou kinímatos tou 1922 anélave grammatéas tis "Panklirikís Énosis", mias kínisis agámon klirikón fíla proskeímenon sti venizelikí parátaxi pou eíche os synépeia sto télos tou ídiou étous, ton Dekémvrio tou 1922, epí epanastatikís kyvérnisis N. Plastíra, kai enó akómi ítan diákonos, na cheirotonitheí epískopos kai na eklegeí Mitropolítis Kérkyras. To 1930, orístike apó tin Ierá Patriarchikí Sýnodo Archiepískopos Voreíou kai tis Notíou Amerikís kai chrimátise se aftí ti thési méchri to 1948. Katá ti diárkeia tis ekeí thiteías tou katórthose na enósei tis diaireménes apó ton ethnikó dichasmó koinótites, édose idiaítero város stin anégersi naón kai scholeíon kai ídryse tin ellinorthódoxi scholí theologías tou Timíou Stavroú sti Vostóni.
Katá ti diárkeia tis archiepiskopías tou stis IPA o Athinagóras eíche kalliergísei stenés schéseis me koryfaíes prosopikótites tis chóras ópos me to proedrikó zévgos Franklínou kai Eleonóras Roúzvelt kai perissótero idiaítera me ton próedro Chárry Troúman.
Metá ti dromologiméni ek tessáron kyverníseon "paraítisi" tou Patriárchi Konstantinoupóleos Maxímou E?, stis 18 Oktovríou tou 1948, kai eidikótera metá apó píesi ton IPA pros tin tourkikí kyvérnisi, o Athinagóras exelégi Patriárchis, stis 1 Noemvríou tou 1948, os Athinagóras A?. Ítan o prótos Patriárchis pou exelégi chorís na échei proigouménos tin tourkikí ypikoótita, metá tin efarmogí tou tourkikoú nómou - diatágmatos 1092 tou étous 1923. Étsi tou anagnorístike i tourkikí ypikoótita kai tou dóthike tourkikó diavatírio, apó to Nomárchi Konstantinoúpolis sto aerodrómio, katá tin áfixí tou, me to skeptikó óti eíche gennitheí sto édafos tis próin Othomanikís Aftokratorías, dedoménou óti i genéteirá tou apeleftheróthike metá ti génnisí tou, to 1912.
Synkekriména stis 1 Noemvríou tou 1948 synklíthike i Endimoúsa Sýnodos tou Patriarcheíou Konstantinoupóleos apoteloúmeni apó 17 archiereís. To triprósopo psifodéltio katartísthike apó archiereís - poimenárches ektós ton tourkikón oríon: tou archiepiskópou Amerikís Athinagóra, tou mitropolíti Methýmnis Dionysíou, kai tou mitropolíti Kóou Emmanouíl. Kai oi treis élavan apó 11 psífous enó vréthikan 6 lefká. O Athinagóras ekléchthike katá ti défteri psifoforía, ópou élave 11 psífous. Oi ypóloipes ítan lefkoí kai proérchontan apó tous ypostiriktés tou kyríos antipálou tou, tou mitropolíti Dérkon Ioakeím, o opoíos eíche apokleisteí proigouménos apó tin tourkikí kyvérnisi, apó ti diadikasía eklogís. Málista o tourkikós týpos theoroúse ex archís vévaii tin eklogí tou Athinagóra, anaférontas akómi kai ton arithmó psífon pou tha elámvane.
O Patriárchis Athinagóras prin anachorísei gia tin Konstantinoúpoli ékane mia megáli periodeía s? óles schedón tis orthódoxes koinótites tis Amerikís dínontas katá tis diáfores ekeí omilíes tou to stígma tis politikís pou th? akolouthoúse kalóntas ólous se mia néa stavroforía katá tou kommounismoú, tin "ieróteri máchi" tou christianikoú kósmou, ópos o ídios charaktírize tóte.
Synkekriména sta téli Noemvríou tou 1948, milóntas se megáli klirikolaïkí synkéntrosi sti Vostóni, pou metadóthike ap? óla ta amerikaniká mésa enimérosis, metaxý állon tónise:
"Kataigídes antixootíton xespoún gýro mas kai to oléthrio pnévma tis katastrofís apeileí na pníxei tin elefthería tis syneidíseós mas, ta anthrópina idaniká mas kai ta ierá tou christianikoú politismoú themélia (...). I Ellás apó to éna méros diexágei ídi sklirón agóna dia na diatirísei tin eleftherían kai tin edafikín tis akeraiótita. I Tourkía af? etérou evrísketai eis synechí epifylaktikín stásin en ópsei tis ídias apeilís. To Dógma Troúman apedeíchthi en ti práxei os eis ek ton apotelesmatikotéron paragónton eis ton agóna pros apókrousin tis epithéseos aftís. Kaló ólous tous Amerikanoús ópos enischýsoun tas prospatheías tou proédrou Troúman (...). To na lismonísi tis to ierón toúto chréos katá tas krisímous óras tha isodynámei pros to na lipotaktísi kai na enkataleípsi tin thésin tou eis tin ierotéran máchin ex óson edóthisan poté dia tin yperáspisin ton idanikón tis christianosýnis".
Kyriakí, 5 Ianouaríou tou 1964 kai óra 9.30 to vrády epí tou Órous ton Elaión stin Ierousalím, synantíthikan gia próti forá apó to méga schísma tou 1054 Oikoumenikós Patriárchis kai Pápas tis Rómis. I istorikí aftí timí aníkei ston Athinagóra A?kai ton Pávlo ST'. I synántisi égine sto mégaro tis romaiokatholikís antiprosopeías. I défteri synántisi égine tin epoméni sto Patriarcheío Ierosolýmon. Kai oi dýo mégistoi igétes tis Christianosýnis diapístosan óti o drómos gia tin énosi ton dýo Ekklisión eínai makrýs kai dyscherís, allá oi oionoí eínai áristoi. Oi dýo ekklisiastikoí igétes eíchan kai tríti anepísimi synántisi stous drómous tis Ierousalím ypó tis epeffimíes ton pistón. Ítan to próto víma stin poreía tis énosis. O patriárchis Athinagóras péthane stis 7 Ioulíou 1972."
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)