Chicago, March 27, 2018
Photo: Romfea.gr The newly-consecrated metropolitan of Chicago for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, His Eminence Nathanel (Symeonides), was officially enthroned as the ruling hierarch for the Chicago Metropolis on Saturday. During the service, His Eminence spoke of his new cross of drawing the faithful nearer to Christ and of the need to more actively engage today’s youth, “even if it means joining them in the streets,” reports The Pappas Post.
Met. Nathanael was just consecrated as a bishop on March 17, after being unanimously elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 7. The Chicago See had been vacant since His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago fell asleep in the Lord on June 2 at the age of 89.
“As your metropolitan and father, I wholeheartedly accept the awesome responsibility and obligation to lead you closer to Christ. It is not adequate when we only focus on finances, administration and on social ties. We must simultaneously pay attention to our spirituality. I do not forget that the primary task of every hierarch is the salvation of souls,” Met. Nathanael stated.
He also emphasized his desire to see the Church be open to all who desire to know Christ:
I will do all that I can to open those doors that were once shut and be inclusive of everyone in the work of the Church—especially those who were once ignored or marginalized. I beseech each of you to get involved so that together we can serve as God's left and right hands, thus sharing His hope and love with the world. As I have in my prior ministries, I intend to continue actively working in the community to help those in greatest need, and I will expect the same of our clergy. We must extend the love of God beyond the walls of our churches and into society, particularly to those in greatest need of that love.
His Eminence also referenced the marches taking place throughout the nation in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, noting that “It is daunting to consider that these young people, our young people, are not marching to church to find refuge or a place to voice their concerns.” They take to the streets, Met. Nathanael continued, because they feel that no one cares for them or that they cannot voice their concerns elsewhere, but “as a unified metropolis family, we must find new ways to engage them. It is not enough for us to issue invitations and passively wait for them to arrive at our doorsteps; it is our responsibility to go to them, yes even if it means joining them in the streets.”
His Eminence has spent many years in studying and researching matters pertaining to today’s youth and in ministering to them.
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Met. Nathanel was born in Thessaloniki in 1978. He graduated from both Hellenic College and Holy Cross Seminary in Boston, then receiving his Ph.D. in Theology in 2007 from Boston University, as well as Columbia University, where he specialized in the history and ethics of public health. He has taught as a visiting professor of Ethics and Bioethics at Fordham University and Holy Cross and St. Vladimir’s Seminaries, and has published several articles on theology and bioethics.
He was ordained to the diaconate in 2003, serving as the deacon to the archbishop from 2006-2010, and to the priesthood in 2010 by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He served as the pastor of Holy Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in New York City from 2010-2013. His pastoral ministry has included the development of the “Orthodox Professionals in Action” pastoral organization, which has given more than 400 young Manhattan professionals the opportunity to work with the most vulnerable people in the area and make a difference in their lives.
He was appointed the director of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in September 2013 and developed the Archdiocese’s relations with many religious organizations and permanent representatives of the United Nations. He also organized the academic conference “Orthodoxy and Humanism: Ideas and Actions in the Modern World,” which gathered experts from around the world to discuss how the Church can help in humanitarian crises and promote sustainable development in the aftermath of crises.
