Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem () (born: 1952 - Ilias Giannopoulos, Ηλίας Γιαννόπουλος) is the current Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. He is styled "Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion."
Theophilos (also spelled Theofilos or Theophilus) was elected by the Holy Synod of Jerusalem as the 141st primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem on 22 August 2005, confirmed by the pan-Orthodox Synod of Constantinople. The election was endorsed by Jordan on 24 September 2005, as one of the three governments whose endorsement is required. He was enthroned on 22 November 2005, despite Israeli objection. Theophilos had previously petitioned the Israeli government for recognition of the election.Israel slams swearing-in of Theophilos III as a "serious impropriety"
Theophilos was elected unanimously by Jerusalem's Holy Synod to succeed the deposed, Irenaios I. Theophilos is regarded as having been more favorable to his deposed predecessor, which may assist him in bringing stability to the troubled patriarchate as Irenaios's supporters may thus unite around him and make peace with the synod. Upon his election, Theophilos said, "In the last few months we have had a lot of problems but with the help of God we will overcome them."
Theophilos was formerly the Archbishop of Tabor.
==Biography==
Theophilos was born in Messinia, Peloponnese, Greece in 1952. His name at birth was Ilias Giannopoulos. In 1964, Ilias moved to Jerusalem.
He served as archdeacon for then-patriarch Benediktos (Benedict I). From 1991 to 1996, he was a priest in Cana in Galilee, which had a predominantly Israeli Arab community, there he also formed a society called "Nour al Masih" ("Light of Christ") to spread the Orthodox Christian faith throughout the region.
Theophilos studied theology at the University of Athens and went on to complete a master's degree in Durham. He has studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Besides his native Greek, he also speaks English, Arabic and Hebrew.
In 1996, he was one of the first Christian clergymen in centuries to make an opening into the closed Wahhabi Islamic society of Qatar, an area historically under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem where many Palestinian migrant workers live today, a considerable number of them Orthodox Christians. He subsequently served as Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Qatar.
From 2000 to 2003, he was church envoy to the Patriarchate of Moscow but mostly steered clear of Moscow, where the Patriarchate has an established metochion.
Before becoming patriarch, Theophilos served for a short time as the Archbishop of Tabor, consecrated to the episcopacy by Irenaios in February 2005.
He was officially enthroned as Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine on November 22, 2005. Delegates from all of the Orthodox Churches as well as high secular dignitaries were in attendance, including the President of Greece, and senior officials representing the governments of Jordan, Qatar and the Palestinian Authority, as well as diplomats and military officials.Enthronement of Theophilos III, a new chapter in the relationship between Catholics and Orthodox
==Titles==
The official title of the Patriarch of Jerusalem is:
His Most Godly Beatitude, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, Arabia, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion, Theophilus III;
in Greek:
Η Αυτού Θειοτάτη Μακαριότης, ο Πατριάρχης της Αγίας Πόλεως Ιερουσαλήμ και πάσης Παλαιστίνης, Συρίας, Αραβίας, Πέραν του Ιορδάνου, Κανά της Γαλιλαίας και Αγίας Σιών, Θεόφιλος Γ' 
==References==
==External links==
* The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
* Theophilus III of Jerusalem, OrthodoxWiki article
* Athens News profile
Category:Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem
Category:Eastern Orthodox priests
Category:Greek Orthodox clerics
Category:People from Peloponnese
Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece