H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima (27 August 1951 – 1 June 2022)
The vice moderator of the WCC central committee passed away on 1 June 2022.
Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima was a member of the WCC executive and central committees since 2002. From 1983-93, he was a staff member of the WCC’s Faith and Order secretariat in Geneva, and he served as vice-moderator of the WCC Faith and Order Commission since 2015.
H. E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima at a press briefing during the meeting of the WCC central committee 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland.
WCC central committee 2006: WCC Officers (l. to r.): vice-moderator: Rev. Dr Margaretha M. Hendriks-Ririmasse, Presbyterian Protestant Church in the Moluccas, Indonesia, moderator: Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil. Vice-moderator: H. E. Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. WCC general secretary: Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, Methodist Church in Kenya.
21 June 2018, Geneva, Switzerland: the World Council of Churches receives a visit from Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church. Held under the theme of “Ecumenical Pilgrimage – Walking, Praying and Working Together”, the landmark visit is a centrepiece of the ecumenical commemoration of the WCC’s 70th anniversary. The visit is only the third by a pope, and the first time that such an occasion was dedicated to visiting the WCC. Here, an ecumenical prayer service with religious leaders from all over the world. H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima (vice-moderator of the WCC central committee, Ecumenical Patriarchate).
17 June 2018, Geneva, Switzerland: Representatives of churches worldwide gathered at Geneva’s St Pierre Cathedral for a service of celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches on 17 June, at which His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew urged continued efforts for unity, justice and peace.
21 June 2018, Geneva, Switzerland: the World Council of Churches receives a visit from Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis enters the Ecumenical Centre with H. E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, Cardinal Koch, Dr Agnes Abuom, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.
Representatives of churches worldwide gathered at Geneva’s St Pierre Cathedral for a service of celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches on 17 June, at which His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew urged continued efforts for unity, justice and peace. Here, the patriarch with WCC Central Committee vice-moderator H. E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima.
H. E. Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima at the WCC central committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 2009
Kolympari, Crete, Greece, 8 Oct. 2009. Meeting of the Faith and Order Plenary Commission at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima and director of Faith and Order Rev. Canon John Gibaut.
Kingston, Jamaica, 24 May 2011. H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima speaks at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation.
H. E. Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima, vice-moderator if the WCC central committee, Dean Anders Gadegaard, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark and Dr Audeh Quawas, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at the central committee Meeting 2009.
H. E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima on October 2009.
Geneva, Switzerland, 2008: H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima visits with Ecumenical Patriarch H.A.H. Bartholomew after the WCC 60th anniversary worship service.
H. E. Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima at the farewell service for WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia on 30 August 2009.
Kolympari, Crete, Greece, 7 October 2009. Meeting of the Faith and Order Plenary Commission at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. Left to right: Director of Faith and Order Rev. Canon John Gibaut, Moderator of Faith and Order Metropolitan of Constantia and Ammochostos, Dr Vasilios Karayiannis Church of Cyprus, H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima.
Jamaica, Kingston, May 16, 2011. A joint World Council of Churches, Jamaica Council of Churches and Caribbean Conference of Churches delegation met with His Excellency, Most Honourable, Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica. .From left: H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima, vice moderator of the WCC central committee; Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, moderator of the WCC central committee; His Excellency, Most Honourable, Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica.
Kingston, Jamaica, May 24, 2011. International Ecumenical Peace Convocation “Glory to God and Peace on Earth”.
Representatives of the World Council of Churches visited Greece 14-18 October 2015 to strengthen efforts in support of refugees in Europe and the Middle East. The delegation also included H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima, vice moderator of the WCC central and executive committee and Marianne Ejdersten, director of WCC Communication. Prof Dr Dimitra Koukoura, member of the WCC central committee joined the delegation in Thessaloniki. The WCC solidarity visit was hosted by the The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece.
Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 31 July 2004. H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima addresses the WCC Faith and Order plenary commission.
To express solidarity with churches and people in Israel and Palestine, the leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee has undertaken a visit to Israel and Palestine from 7 to 12 March 2015. The delegation with Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC Central Committee, H. E. Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima and Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, vice-moderators of the Central Committee, and Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary, highlighted the WCC’s focus on supporting peace initiatives in the troubled region, underlining the on-going presence and witness of the churches’ engagements.
Geneva, Switzerland, 28 August 2003. Press briefing at the WCC central committee with Bishop Rolf Koppe, H. E. Metropolitan Prof Dr Gennadios of Sassima, Mr George Lemopoulos.
Dr Gennadios Limouris, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Eastern), Executive secretary Faith and Order, Geneva 1985.
World Consultation on Inter-church aid, refugee and world service “Diakonia 2000 – Called to be neighbours”: 300 participants from 103 countries met in Larnaca from 19 to 26 November 1986. The aim of the consultation was to formulate and refine a new vision of ecumenical witness and service. Rev. Prof. Gennadios Limouris, WCC. Larnaca 1986.
World Consultation on Inter-church aid, refugee and world service “Diakonia 2000 – Called to be neighbours”: 300 participants from 103 countries met in Larnaca from 19 to 26 November 1986. The aim of the consultation was to formulate and refine a new vision of ecumenical witness and service. Opening worship in St Lazarus church, Larnaca 1986.
HAH Dimitrios I, Ecumenical Patriarch, “first amongst equals” in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, visits the WCC, Christian organizations and the Geneva city authorities and church leaders on December 10-14 1987. In the Ecumenical Centre, Gennadios Limouris, Faith and Order, HE Chrysostomos of Myra, metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and WCC vice-moderator, HAH Dimitrios I, Emilio Castro, WCC general secretary. Geneva, 1987.
Dimitrios I, Ecumenical Patriarch, “first amongst equals” in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, visits the WCC, Christian organizations and the Geneva city authorities and church leaders on December 10-14 1987. Gift of a silver engraving of an old encyclique presented to HAH Dimitrios I by Emilio Castro, on behalf of the WCC. Geneva, 1987.
HAH Dimitrios I, Ecumenical Patriarch, “first amongst equals” in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, visits the WCC, Christian organizations and the Geneva city authorities and church leaders on December 10-14 1987. Mr Wellhauser, President of the the Geneva state council, HAH Dimitrios I, Mr Haeggi, Geneva mayor, Fr Gennadios Limouris, WCC. Geneva 1987.
World Convocation on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, Seoul Korea 1990. Gennadios Limouris.
