Senate Honors Archbishop Iakovos

Published by The National Herald, May 27, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Maryland) introduced a resolution last Friday, May 20, honoring the life and contributions of the late Archbishop Iakovos, formerly North & South America, on the occasion of the 40th day since his passing. Archbishop Iakovos passed away at the age of 93 on April 10 in Stamford, Connecticut.

"This resolution recognizes a man whose entire life honored God and his fellow man. Beyond those he served as head of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere, all in this world who value human rights and dignity mourn his passing and recognize his enormous achievement. His Eminence inspired me not only as the leader of our faith, but also for what he stood for personally – compassion, integrity and a creative commitment to justice," said Senator Snowe.

Senator Sarbanes agreed: "This Senate resolution honors the remarkable life and contributions of Archbishop Iakovos, who led the Greek Orthodox Church during a period of great transition and challenge in our country. He was deeply respected by people throughout this country, and he leaves behind a legacy that continues to guide the Greek Orthodox Church and, indeed, all of us today," he said.

Honoring the life and contributions of His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, former archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

Whereas His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, former archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America and spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christians in the Western Hemisphere from 1959 to 1996, passed away at the age of 93 on April 10, 2005 in Stamford, Connecticut;

Whereas, when Archbishop Iakovos retired at the age of 85 on 29 July 1996, the Archbishop had given 37 years of outstanding service which were distinguished by his leadership in furthering religious unity, revitalizing Christian worship and championing human and civil rights;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was born Demetrios A. Coucouzis on the tiny island of Imbros in the Aegean Sea to Maria and Athanasios Coucouzis on 29 July 1911;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos enrolled in the Ecumenical Patriarchal Theological School at Halki at the age of 15;

Whereas, after graduating with high honors from Halki, Archbishop Iakovos was ordained deacon in 1934, taking the ecclesiastical name, Iakovos;

Whereas five years after his ordination, Archbishop Iakovos received an invitation to serve as archdeacon to the late Archbishop Athenagoras, then primate of North and South America, who later became Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople;

Whereas in 1940, Archbishop Iakovos was ordained to the priesthood in Lowell, Massachusetts, beginning his service at Saint George Church in Hartford, Connecticut while teaching and serving as assistant dean of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School, then in Pomfret, Connecticut and now in Brookline, Massachusetts;

Whereas in 1941, Archbishop Iakovos was named preacher at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City, and in the summer of 1942 served as temporary dean of Saint Nicholas Church in St. Louis, Missouri;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was appointed dean of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Boston, Massachusetts in 1942, and remained there until 1954;

Whereas in 1945, Archbishop Iakovos earned a Master’s of Sacred Theology Degree from Harvard University;

Whereas in 1954, Archbishop Iakovos was ordained Bishop of Melita by his spiritual father and mentor, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, for whom he served four years as personal representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches in Geneva;

Whereas on 14 February 1959, the Holy & Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected Archbishop Iakovos to succeed Archbishop Michael as primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was enthroned on 1 April 1959 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City, assuming responsibility for a jurisdiction which has grown to more than 500 parishes in the United States alone;

Whereas the enthronement of Archbishop Iakovos in 1959 ushered in a new era for the Greek Orthodox Church in America, in which the Church became part of the mainstream of American religious life;

Whereas in 1959, shortly after being elected and enthroned archbishop, Archbishop Iakovos held a historic meeting with Pope John XXIII, becoming the first Greek Orthodox Archbishop to meet with a Roman Catholic Pope in 350 years;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was a dynamic participant in the contemporary ecumenical movement for Christian unity, serving for nine years as President of the World Council of Churches and piloting Inter-Orthodox, Inter-Christian and Inter-Religious dialogues;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos vigorously supported the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and had the courage to walk hand-in-hand with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama, a historic moment for America which was captured on the cover of LIFE Magazine on 26 March 1965;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos spoke out forcefully against violations of human rights and religious freedom and, in 1974, undertook a massive campaign to assist Greek Cypriot refugees following the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish armed forces;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, which was bestowed on him by President Carter on 9 June 1980;

Whereas in 1986, Archbishop Iakovos was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and was cited by the Academy of Athens, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Appeal of Conscience;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos, during his stewardship of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, became an imposing religious figure and a champion of social causes, encouraging the faithful to become involved in all aspects of American life;

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was a friend to nine Presidents, and to religious and political leaders worldwide, receiving honorary degrees from some 40 colleges and universities;
Whereas Archbishop Iakovos presented a prayer at Presidential inaugural ceremonies in 1961, 1965, 1969 and 1972;

Whereas the Archbishop had said of his pastoral work with immigrants in New England and New York, "I lived and struggled with them to maintain the faith and culture";

Whereas in a 1995 interview, the Archbishop said he had accomplished a major goal "to have the Orthodox Church be accepted by the family of religions in the United States," and…

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was interred at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York, New York on 15 April 2005;

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the Senate 1) mourns the loss of Archbishop Iakovos and commends the life the Archbishop led; 2) thanks Archbishop Iakovos for his service to the members of his church and to the people of this Nation; 3) honors Archbishop Iakovos’ commitment to the principles of equality, humanity and peace; and 4) recognizes that Archbishop Iakovos was a committed and caring pastor to a whole generation of Greek Americans, whose hard work, determination and pride in their religious and cultural heritage Archbishop Iakovos embodied, and who will dearly miss the Archbishop.



Volume 7 Number 22 - Tuesday, May 31st, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY