# Metropolis of Thessaloniki

The Metropolis of Thessaloniki (Greek: Ιερά Μητρόπολις Θεσσαλονίκης) is a Greek Orthodox metropolitan see based in the city of Thessaloniki in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is part of the so-called "New Lands", belonging to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople but being administered by the Church of Greece. The see traces its history to its foundation by the Apostle Paul in the 1st century. Since 2023, the incumbent metropolitan is Filotheos Theocharis [el].

## History

In its early centuries, the see of Thessaloniki became the metropolitan diocese of the Roman province of Macedonia. After the creation of major ecclesiastical jurisdictions, the see of Thessalonica was subordinated to the Patriarch of Rome, rising to become the archbishopric of the Eastern Illyricum. Roman control—and the use of Latin as a liturgical language—continued until c. 733, when the see was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Under Constantinople, it was reduced in status to a "simple" metropolitan see, with 5 to 12 suffragan sees, although the metropolitans continued to use the title of "archbishop" as well.

## List of bishops

| Name | Name in Greek | Tenure | Notes |
| Gaius | Γάιος | | Saint |
| Nicholas I | Νικόλαος Α΄ | 160 | Saint |
| Artemius | Ἀρτέμιος | | Saint |
| Alexander I | Ἀλέξανδρος Α΄ | 305–335 | Saint |
| John I | Ἰωάννης Α΄ | | |
| Aetius | Ἀέτιος | 342–347 | |
| Irenius | Εἰρήνιος | 355 | |
| Paulinus | Παυλῖνος | | |
| Acholius or Ascholius | Ἀχόλιος, Ἀσχόλιος | 379–384 | Saint |
| Anysius | Ἀνύσιος | 384–407 | Saint; Division of the Roman Empire in 395 |
| Rufus | Ῥοῦφος | 407–434 | Saint |
| Anastasius I | Ἀναστάσιος Α΄ | 434–451 | Saint |
| Auxitheus, Eudoxius | Αὐξίθεος, Εὐδόξιος | 451–458 | Saint |
| Andrew | Ἀνδρέας | 481–494 | Saint |
| Dorotheus I | Δωρόθεος Α΄ | 494–520 | Saint |
| Aristides | Ἀριστείδης | 520–535 | |
| Elias | Ἠλίας | 553 | Saint, Participant in the Second Council of Constantinople |
| Thalaleus | Θαλαλεὺς | | |
| Theodosius I | Θεοδόσιος Α΄ | 585 | |
| Eusebius | Εὐσέβιος | 585–603 | |
| John II | Ἰωάννης Β΄ | 603–610 | Saint, author of Book I of the Miracles of Saint Demetrius |
| Plotinus | Πλωτῖνος | 616 | |
| John II | Ἰωάννης Β΄ | 617–626 | Saint |
| Paul I | Παῦλος Α΄ | 649 | |
| John III | Ἰωάννης Γ΄ | 680 | Participant in the Third Council of Constantinople |
| Sergius | Σέργιος | 690 | Participant in the Quinisext Council |
| Constantine I | Κωνσταντῖνος Α΄ | | |
| Peter | Πέτρος | before 754 | |
| Anastasius | Ἀναστάσιος | after 754 | |
| Basil I | Βασίλειος Α΄ | 772 | |
| Theophilus | Θεόφιλος | 787 | Saint; Participant in the Second Council of Nicaea |
| Thomas | Θωμᾶς | | Saint |
| Joseph I the Studite | Ἰωσὴφ Α΄, ὁ στουδίτης | 807–809 | Saint; brother of Theodore the Studite |
| Unknown | | 809–811 | |
| Joseph I the Studite | Ἰωσὴφ Α΄, ὁ στουδίτης | 811–821 | Saint; brother of Theodore the Studite |
| Leo the Philosopher | Λέων, ὁ φιλόσοφος | 839/840–843 | |
| Anthony the Confessor | Ἀντώνιος, ὁ ὁμολογητὴς | 843 | Saint |
| Basil II | Βασίλειος Β΄ | 843–865 | |
| Theodore | Θεόδωρος | 866–869 | |
| Paul II | Παῦλος Β΄ | 880–882 | |
| Gregory I | Γρηγόριος Α΄ | 882 | |
| Methodius | Μεθόδιος | 889 | |
| John IV the Thessalian | Ἰωάννης Δ΄, ὁ Θεσσαλὸς | 892–904 | |
| Basil III the Confessor | Βασίλειος Γ΄, ὁ ὁμολογητὴς | 904–? | Saint |
| Anatolius | Ἀνατόλιος | | |
| Isidore I | Ἰσίδωρος Α΄ | 1016 | |
| Nicetas I | Νικήτας Α΄ | | |
| Theophanes I | Θεοφάνης Α΄ | 1031–1038 | |
| Prometheus | Προμηθεὺς | 1038 | |
| Unknown | | 1063 | |
| Theodulus | Θεόδουλος | 1086–1107 | |
| Constantine II | Κωνσταντῖνος Β΄ | 1110 | |
| Michael I | Μιχαὴλ Α΄ | 1122 | |
| Nicetas II | Νικήτας Β΄ | 1133 | |
| Constantine | Κωνσταντῖνος | after 1133 | |
| Leo | Λέων | | |
| Romanus | Ρωμανός | | |
| Basil IV of Ohrid | Βασίλειος Δ΄, ὁ Ἀχρίδος | 1145–1168 | |
| Eustathius | Εὐστάθιος, ὁ Κατάφλωρος | 1175–1197 ή 1198 | Saint |
| Constantine III Mesopotamites | Κωνσταντῖνος Γ΄, ὁ Μεσοποταμίτης | 1198–1199 | |
| Chrysanthus | Χρύσανθος | 1199–1202 | |
| Constantine III Mesopotamites | Κωνσταντῖνος Γ΄,ὁ Μεσοποταμίτης | 1204–1224 | in exile; Thessaloniki under Latin control |
| Nicetas III | Νικήτας Γ΄ | | |
| Joseph II | Ἰωσὴφ Β΄ | 1232–1235 | |
| Michael II Palatanos | Μιχαὴλ Β΄, ὁ Παλατάνος | 1235 | |
| Manuel | Μανουὴλ | 1258–1261 | |
| Joannicius Kydones | Ἰωαννίκιος, ὁ Κυδώνης | 1261 | |
| Demetrius | Δημήτριος | 1282–1285 | |
| Ignatius I | Ἰγνάτιος Α΄ | 1285–? | |
| James I | Ἰάκωβος Α΄ | 1299 | |
| Jeremy | Ἱερεμίας | 1315–1322 | |
| Euphemianus | Εὐφημιανὸς | 1322 | |
| John V Kalekas | Ἰωάννης Ε΄, ὁ Καλέκας | 1322–1334 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Gregory II | Γρηγόριος Β’ | 1334 | |
| Glabas | Γλαβᾶς | 1336–1341 | |
| Macarius I | Μακάριος Α΄ | 1342–1346 | |
| Gregory III Palamas | Γρηγόριος Γ΄, ὁ Παλαμᾶς | 1347–1359 | Saint |
| Neilos Kabasilas | Νεῖλος, ὁ Καβάσιλας | 1360–1361 | Saint |
| Nicholas II Kabasilas | Νικόλαος Β΄, ὁ Καβάσιλας | 1361–1363 | Saint |
| Unknown | | 1363–1371 | |
| Dorotheus II | Δωρόθεος Β΄ | 1371–1379 | |
| Isidore II Glabas | Ἰσίδωρος Β΄, ὁ Γλαβᾶς | 1379–1393 | Saint; Thessaloniki under Ottoman control |
| Gabriel I | Γαβριὴλ Α΄ | 1393–1410 | Saint; Thessaloniki returns to Byzantine control |
| Symeon the Mystic | Συμεών, ὁ μυσταγωγός | 1410–1429 | Saint |
| Gregory III | Γρηγόριος Γ΄ | 1430 | Thessaloniki finally under Ottoman control |
| Nephon | Νήφων | 1450–1484 | Saint, Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Macarius II | Μακάριος Β΄ | 1517–1536 | |
| Theonas | Θεωνᾶς, ὁ ἀπὸ Ἡγουμένων | 1539 | Saint |
| Theophanes II | Θεοφάνης Β΄ | 1544 | |
| Gregory-David | Γρηγόριος–Δαβὶδ | | |
| Joasaph I | Ἰωάσαφ Α΄ | 1560–1578 | |
| Metrophanes | Μητροφάνης | 1585 | |
| Gabriel II | Γαβριὴλ Β΄ | 1594 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Matthew I | Ματθαῖος Α΄ | 1596 | |
| Joasaph II Argyropoulos | Ἰωάσαφ Β΄, ὁ Ἀργυρόπουλος | 1596 | |
| Sophronius I | Σωφρόνιος Α΄ | 1606 | |
| Zosimas | Ζωσιμᾶς | 1607 | |
| Parthenius | Παρθένιος | 1611 | |
| Athanasios I | Ἀθανάσιος Α΄ | 1622–1634 | Saint, Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Damascenus I | Δαμασκηνὸς Α΄ | 1634–1636 | |
| Callinicus I | Καλλίνικος Α΄ | 1636–1639 | |
| Theocletus | Θεόκλητος | 1645–1651 | |
| Joachim I | Ἰωακεὶμ Α΄ | 1651–1666 | |
| Dionysius | Διονύσιος | 1666–1671 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Anastasius II | Ἀναστάσιος Β | 1671 | |
| Meletius I | Μελέτιος Α΄ | 1672–1684 | |
| Methodius | Μεθόδιος | 1687–1696 | |
| Ignatius II | Ἰγνάτιος Β΄ | 1698–1712 | |
| James II | Ἰάκωβος Β΄ | 1712 | |
| Ignatius II | Ἰγνάτιος Β΄ | 1723 | |
| Ananias | Ἀνανίας | 1728 | |
| Joachim II | Ἰωακεὶμ Β΄ | 1734–1744 | |
| Gabriel III | Γαβριὴλ Γ΄ | 1745–1752 | |
| Spyridon | Σπυρίδων | 1760–1761 | |
| Neophytus I | Νεόφυτος Α΄ | 1767 | |
| Theodosius II | Θεοδόσιος Β΄ | 1767–1769 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Damascenus II | Δαμασκηνὸς Β΄ | 1769–1780 | |
| James III | Ἰάκωβος Γ΄ | 1780 | |
| Gerasimus | Γεράσιμος | 1788–1815 | |
| Joseph III the Hieromartyr | Ἰωσὴφ Γ΄, ὁ Ἱερομάρτυς | 1815–1821 | Saint |
| Matthew II | Ματθαῖος Β΄ | 1821–1824 | |
| Macarius III | Μακάριος Γ΄ | 1824–1830 | |
| Meletius II | Μελέτιος Β΄ | 1830–1841 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Hieronymus | Ἱερώνυμος | 1841–1853 | |
| Callinicus II | Καλλίνικος Β΄ | 1853–1861 | Patriarch of Alexandria |
| Neophytus II | Νεόφυτος Β΄ | 1861–1874 | |
| Joachim III | Ἰωακεὶμ Γ΄ | 1874–1878 | Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Callinicus III Fotiadis | Καλλίνικος Γ΄, ὁ Φωτιάδης | 1878–1884 | |
| Gregory IV Kallidis | Γρηγόριος Δ΄, ὁ Καλλίδης | 1885–1889 | Saint |
| Sophronius II | Σωφρόνιος Β΄ | 1889–1893 | |
| Athanasius II Megaklis | Ἀθανάσιος Β΄, ὁ Μεγακλῆς | 1893–1903 | |
| Alexander II Rigopoulos | Ἀλέξανδρος Β΄, ὁ Ῥηγόπουλος | 1903–1910 | |
| Joachim IV Sgouros | Ἰωακεὶμ Δ΄, ὁ Σγουρὸς | 1910–1912 | |
| Gennadios Alexiadis | Γεννάδιος, ὁ Ἀλεξιάδης | 1912–1951 | Thessaloniki comes under Greek control |
| Panteleimon I Papageorgiou | Παντελεήμων Α΄, ὁ Παπαγεωργίου | 1951–1968 | |
| Leonidas Paraskevopoulos | Λεωνίδας, ὁ Παρασκευόπουλος | 1968–1974 | |
| Panteleimon II Chrysofakis | Παντελεήμων Β΄, ὁ Χρυσοφάκης | 1974–2003 | |
| Anthimos Rousas | Ἄνθιμος, ὁ Ῥούσας | 2004–2023 | |
| Filotheos Theocharis [el] | Φιλόθεος, ὁ Θεοχάρης | 2023 - | |