Aristotle University Honours Former Archbishop of America

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) has conferred the honorary emblem “Saint Demetrios” on Archbishop Emeritus of America Demetrios (Trakatellis), following a decision by the University Senate. The award was presented during an official ceremony held on Wednesday evening in the university’s ceremonial hall.

Addressing the honoree, AUTH Rector Professor Kyriakos Anastasiadis praised Archbishop Demetrios for a lifetime of selfless service to humanity and described him as a leading figure of Orthodoxy and global Hellenism, with a broad intellectual presence and substantial spiritual contribution.

During his remarks, the rector noted that throughout his long ecclesiastical service, Archbishop Demetrios consistently highlighted Orthodoxy and Hellenism as calm and steady voices of peace and dialogue. He also emphasized the Archbishop’s dedication to scholarship, describing his academic and theological work as a lasting legacy for younger generations of scientists and scholars.

In his acceptance speech, Archbishop Emeritus Demetrios expressed his deep gratitude for the honor, noting the particular significance of receiving it from an internationally renowned university and under the name of Saint Demetrios, the Great Martyr. He reflected on his years as a student at the Experimental School of AUTH, recalling teachers who emphasized truth, sincerity, and integrity, and who encouraged students to go beyond official textbooks.

He described the school as demanding, noting that classes often ended with fewer students than they began, due to the high academic standards. In his own class, he recalled, 30 students initially enrolled, while only 21 completed their studies—yet all who sat university entrance exams were ultimately admitted to higher education institutions.

The Archbishop also made reference to his brother, Antonis Trakatellis, who served as rector of AUTH for six years, and shared personal recollections of Thessaloniki’s history from the outbreak of war in 1940, drawing on his own experiences as a resident of the city.

The ceremony concluded with a formal polychronion sung by the “Three Hierarchs” choir of the Faculty of Theology, followed by a musical program featuring Byzantine hymns.

Brief Biography

Archbishop Emeritus of America Demetrios (Trakatellis) served the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for 17 years, during which he consistently highlighted the spiritual and cultural role of the Greek Orthodox diaspora within a multicultural and multireligious environment. He served as President of the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese and of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States, while also actively participating in inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue aimed at promoting cooperation and peaceful coexistence.

Alongside his pastoral work, he pursued theological scholarship as a professor at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston and as a Visiting Professor at Harvard University. For his academic contributions, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens and was awarded honorary doctorates by five universities, including the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His scholarly output includes monographs, articles, and essays that made a significant contribution, particularly to the field of Biblical Studies.

During critical periods for Hellenism, Archbishop Demetrios undertook humanitarian, national, and ecclesiastical initiatives, mobilizing the Greek diaspora and providing substantive support to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Greece, and Cyprus. Among numerous distinctions, he has been awarded the Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix and the Gold Cross of the Order of Archbishop Makarios III.