The Archbishop of Thessaloniki Gennadios (1868-1951)

The Archbishop of Thessaloniki Gennadios, born Georgios Alexiadis, was born in Mesopoli, Bursa, in 1868. He studied at the Theological School of Halki, where he received the title of Teacher of Orthodox Theology in 1893. He was ordained a deacon and sent to Komotini as director of the schools and preacher until 1897, when he was appointed as an assistant secretary of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1902, he was ordained as an archimandrite, and in 1905, he was elected Archbishop of Lemnos, a position he held until 1912, when he was promoted to Archbishop of Thessaloniki. He played an active role in the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912, serving as an intermediary with the Ottoman authorities to facilitate the peaceful surrender of the city to the Greek Army. During his tenure, he strengthened the philanthropic institutions in his diocese, presiding over many of them, and in 1922 he became president of the Central Refugee Committee.

He conceived the idea for the construction of the YMCA building in Thessaloniki and promoted its development, actively participating in the fundraising efforts among the Greek diaspora. During the German occupation, he instructed the Christians of Thessaloniki not to discriminate against their Jewish fellow citizens, particularly when the latter were forced by the occupying forces to wear the yellow star. He also made strong appeals to halt their deportation to concentration camps. For these actions, he was posthumously honored in 1969 as "Righteous Among the Nations" in Israel—a title awarded to those who saved Jewish lives during the war. Pictured: Letter from the Board of Directors of the Iraklis Gymnastics Club of Thessaloniki, dated July 19, 1919, addressed to Archbishop Gennadios of Thessaloniki, President of the Greek Community of Thessaloniki. ©Iraklis New Gymnastics Club of Thessaloniki 1908.