By Konstantinos Holevas,
Political Scientist
Political Scientist
To the Hellenism that was wintering from the Turkish conquest, Divine Providence sent a great figure in the 16th century. He is Saint Damaskinos the Studite, whom our Church honors on November 27. A cleric, scholar, militant Orthodox, author of wonderful books, wise, modest and ascetic, Damaskinos was an excellent Shepherd in the two Diocese where the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent him. First to the Diocese of Liti and Rentini (today's Metropolis of Lagada) and then to the Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Arta, as it was then called.
Damaskinos was born in Thessaloniki probably in 1520. He studied in Constantinople and had as his teacher the famous Theophanes Eleavoulkos Notaras. He was associated with the historic Monastery of Stoudios, which is why he was called a Studite. He collaborated closely with important Patriarchs such as Metrophanes, Joasaph II the Magnificent and Jeremias the Tranos. He was elected Bishop of Liti and Rentini in 1560 and his ordination took place in Thessaloniki and in particular in the well-known Church of the Rotunda, today the Church of Saint George. Due to the Turkish occupation, the Metropolitan Church of Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki had been converted into a mosque and for a time the Rotunda, known as the Church of the Archangels, served as the Metropolitan Church.
