Bishop Vikentios Will Serve Imvros and Tenedos, Says An ‘Honor’
Bishop Vikentios of Apameia, former Deputy Abbot of the St. Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria, New York is preparing to serve as Assistant Bishop to the Holy Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey. He will be departing the week before Holy Week around April 10. He will be staying at the home of the late Archbishop Iakovos of America. Iakovos was born and raised on the island of Imvros and renovated his family home shortly before his death in 2005. The proposal for Vikentios to serve the Metropolis of Imvros was announced during the last meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on March 3. Once Bishop Vikentios accepts the proposal his liturgical suspension will be lifted and he will also be able to Liturgize again and do all religious services. The Patriarchate disconnected Bishop Vikentios from the former Abbot Metropolitan Paisios. The initial decision of the Patriarchate was for both to leave the U.S. Paisios had resigned willingly and requested to be allowed to live outside of the U.S. The Patriarchate honored his wishes and he now lives in Ano Voula, in Athens. The Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos consists of 120 to 150 faithful altogether and is comprised of seven parishes. There is only one parish on the island of Tenedos with 11 congregants. Imvros is five hours by boat from Constantinople. Vikentios will be returning to the U.S. after Easter to collect his belongings and go back to Imvros permanently.
Vikentios cooperated with the interim abbot Bishop Elias of Philomelion and the accounts of the Monastery were released by the First National Bank in Astoria, and he is expected to resign from the Legal Corporation of the St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery. The National Herald is in a position to know that the issue of the $280,000 in cash that the former nun Christonimphy delivered in November, 2010 to police in Astoria, New York was discussed at the Patriarchate. It was said that those monies should be returned to the Monastery because it is a cynobitic (community) and no official had the right to have any personal funds or property. Metropolitan Paisios had stated that the cash was going to be used for the construction of the fourth floor. In brief telephone interview, Bishop Vikentios told The National Herald that, “I verify your information about going to the Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos.” He added that “after thoughtful consideration and prayer from the day that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod decided to propose my transfer to the Holy Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos, I accepted the proposal and I am preparing to depart a week before Holy Week in order to assume me new responsibilities following the directive and decision of the Mother Church.”
He also said, “It is an honor for me to serve at the Holy Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos at my native lands because my roots are from Asia Minor and specifically from Aivali which I will visit with the first opportunity.” Asked if he has resigned from the Legal Corporation of the St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery, Vikentios said, “The lawyers of the Monastery have been working on those issues and of course my total cooperation in everything is given. I never refused to obey the directives of my Shepard the Ecumenical Patriarch.” He also said that “the accounts of the Monastery were unfrozen and the funds were given to the acting abbot and thus the Monastery operates smoothly now.” To the question of the $280,000 cash that the former nun Christonympi delivered to the police, Bishop Vikentios said that, “I believe that the Monastery should get that money because it belongs to the Monastery,” and he added that “the former abbot even said it in his interviews.” Asked how he feels about living in Archbishop Iakovos’ home in Imvros, Vikentios said, “I spoke with Metropolitan Kyrillos, my new superior, and I was touched by the fact that I will be staying at the house of the most respected and great leader of our Church, Archbishop Iakovos.”