AXIOS!
Here's another article in English:
http://news.ert.gr/en/c/2/30757.aspIeronymos Elected Archbishop
Bishop Ieronymos of Thebes was elected new Archbishop of Athens and all Greece in the second ballot, sources said. At the first one that concluded shortly after 11.30am, Ieronymos had landed first place garnering 33 votes, Efstathios of Sparta garnered 26 votes, while Anthimos of Thessaloniki and Ignatios of Demetrias trailed with seven votes each. The second voting session commenced shortly afterwards, as the required absolute majority, namely 38 votes, was not achieved. As soon as the new head of the Church of Greece is elected, the chairman of the election process will address the so-called "brief message." He will brief, in other words, the new Prelate on the Holy Synod’s decision.The new Archbishop will then exit the Athens Cathedral and address the priests gathered outside.
The informal candidates, since there are no official candidacies and ballot papers, are four: the Bishops of Sparta, Thebes, Thessaloniki and Demetrias. Should there be no objections, the process will be completed late on Thursday noon. As soon as the new head of the Church of Greece is elected, the chairman of the election process will address the so-called "brief message." He will brief, in other words, the new Prelate on the Holy Synod’s decision.
The new Archbishop will then exit the Athens Cathedral and address the priests gathered outside.
Prior to the elections, it was made certain that at least the two thirds of the acting Bishops were present. A mass was officiated by the youngest Bishop, as the protocol dictates, and then the Bishops started voting.
Congratulations and Wishes
The government through its spokesman expressed best wishes to the newly elected Archbishop Ieronymos. The news about his election satisfied and pleased Phanari. "Appreciation to the personality of Bishop Ieronymos of Thebes is big and old and the expectation for cooperation in handling Orthodox Church’s problems is even bigger", the announcement of Ecumenical Patriarchate stressed. It must be noted that the relations between Thebes Bishop and the Ecumenical Patriarchate have been enhanced by the presence in the Patriarchate of priests who were intellectual offspring of Thebes’ Bishop.
