Patriarch John X

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Patriarch John X is one of the WCC presidents (Eastern Orthodox)

H.B. Patriarch John X, one of the WCC presidents (Eastern Orthodox). Photo: Nikos Kosmidis/WCC

H.B. Patriarch John X

WCC president (Eastern Orthodox)

H.B. John X is Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East. Patriarch John was born in Lattakia, Syria. During his university studies, he played a leading role with the youth, which led to a great spiritual revival among his generation. He graduated from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, University of Balamand, with a Bachelor in Theology and from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece with a doctoral degree in Liturgics. He taught Liturgics at and served as the Dean of the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology. He was elected Bishop of Pyrgou, and subsequently Metropolitan of Europe. In December 2012, he was elected Patriarch of Antioch.

Patriarch John X has been involved in worldwide activities at both the Orthodox and ecumenical spheres and participated in international conferences in Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Cyprus, United States of America, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He is the author of several books on theology, education, music, and liturgy.