Archimandrite Ioannis Karamouzas elected Bishop of Skiathos... otisimvenistinskiathonews.gr

 Archimandrite Ioannis Karamouzas elected Bishop of Skiathos

The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, following a proposal by Archbishop Ieronymos, has elected its Chief Secretary, Archimandrite Ioannis Karamouzas, conferring upon him the title of Bishop of Skiathos. He received 73 votes.

The newly elected Bishop of Skiathos, Ioannis Karamouzas, was born in Chalkida in 1973. He is a graduate and holds a Ph.D. from the Theological School of the University of Athens. A monk since 1996 and ordained priest in 1999, he served as a preacher in the Metropolis of Chalkida, with special dedication to the ministry of the Deaf and the teaching of Sign Language. He also worked in synodal committees and taught in university programs on special education. With experience in administration and pastoral work, he now assumes the responsibility of the central secretariat of the Holy Synod.

---

The Diocese of Skiathos

The Diocese of Skiathos was one of the oldest ecclesiastical sees of the Northern Sporades, with roots tracing back to the Byzantine period, when the island belonged to the Metropolis of Larissa. It retained its autonomy even during Ottoman rule, with recorded bishops dating from the 16th century. From the 17th century onward, it was united with Skopelos under the common title “Diocese of Skiathos and Skopelos.” Its seat was the Church of the Nativity of Christ in the medieval castle of Skiathos, a center of the island’s spiritual life.

The diocese continued to function until the 19th century, with its last bishop being Eugenios, who passed away in 1842. It was finally abolished in 1852 during the reorganization of the ecclesiastical structures of the newly established Greek state.