S.Em.R. Dr. Arsenios Kardamakis

I have only one programme: the gospel – Arsenios Kardamakis stated at his ceremonial inauguration in 2011, when he became the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Austria and the Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe. He emphasized the importance of dialogue, cooperation and ecumenism because – as he put it – these have a great tradition in the region. Last year in Brussels, in front of an audience of EU representatives, he talked about the importance of listening to each other: “The future of Europe depends on whether we are able to cooperate with each other across religions. We need each other.”
Arsenios Kardamakis is one of the co-authors of the volume Faith, Science, Society, which is the product of the academic society’s contribution to the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan was born on the Greek island of Crete, in Heraklion. He studied theology in Athens, and later earned a doctorate in Canon law. Kardamakis was ordained a priest in 2002. He started his service in the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany, where he served at the parish of Karlsruhe after his ordination in 2002. In 2004, he became Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France.