Background
Harkianakis was born in Rethymno, on the island of Crete, Greece on 29 December 1935.
Harkianakis was born in Rethymno, on the island of Crete, Greece on 29 December 1935.
He studied theology at the Theological School of Halki, on the island of Halki and graduated in 1958. He completed postgraduate studies in systematic theology and the philosophy of religion in Bonn, West Germany, from 1958 to 1966.
He serves as inaugural and permanent Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches in Australia and Dean of Saint Andrew"s Greek Orthodox Theological College. He is a theologian, specialising in ecclesiology. He is also an award-winning poet.
He was ordained a deacon in 1957 and a priest in 1958.
His lecturers included Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. He wrote his thesis on the concept that the Orthodox Church possessed infallibility when it acted together in conciliarity (eg the Ecumenical Councils). At that time, the idea of infallibility was thought to be an exclusively Roman Catholic idea, entirely alien to the Orthodox Church.
In 1965, whilst still completing his postgraduate studies, Harkianakis was declared Professor of Theology at the University of Athens. In 1966, he was appointed abbot of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Vlatodon, in Thessaloniki.
He was a founding member, then became vice-president and later president, of the Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies within the monastery.
From 1969 to 1975, he lectured in systematic theology at the University of Thessaloniki. In 1970, Harkianakis was elected the Titular Metropolitan of Militoupolis (whilst remaining in the Holy Monastery of Vlatadon) as exarch in matters concerning Northern Greece and Mountain. Athos.
In 1975, Harkianakis was elected and Exarch of Oceania.
Harkianakis has taught Orthodox theology and spirituality at Sydney University since 1975.
In 1986 he became the inaugural dean of Street Andrew"s Theological College where he also serves as Lecturer in Systematic Theology.