Panteleimon Kotokos

Panteleimon Kotokos
Panteleimon Kotokos
Bishop of Gjirokastër
Church	Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
In office	1937–1941
Personal details
Born	1890; Korçë, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (modern Albania)
Died	24 May 1969; Athens, Greece

Panteleimon of Gjirokastër (Greek: Παντελεήμων Αργυροκάστρου, born Christos Kotokos, Greek: Χρήστος Κοτόκος, Albanian: Kristo Kotoko; 1890–1969) was a bishop of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. He was the metropolitan bishop of Gjirokastër (1937–1941) and later the President of the exiled Northern Epirus resistance faction KEVA after the end of World War II.^[1]^[2]

Panteleimon Kotokos was born in Korçë, in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-day southern Albania) in 1860, into a Greek family.^[2] After he finished middle level education in his home place he was accepted in the Theological School of Halki, in Istanbul (Constantinople). For several years he worked as a high school theology teacher. He also acquired a degree in law science at the University of Athens.^[3]

After an agreement with the Albanian authorities, in 1937, the Ecumenical Patriarchate chose a number of highly educated religious personalities for key position in the recently declared as autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. Among them were Panteleimon Kotokos as metropolitan of Gjirokastër and Eulogios Kourilas, as metropolitan of Korçë.^[2]

When the communist regime of Enver Hoxha came to power in Albania (1945), he was declared 'enemy of the state' and was expelled from the country.^[2] He fled to Greece where together with Eulohios Kourilas became the heads of the Central Committee of the Northern Epirote Struggle (KEVA). On November 18, 1945, he managed to organize a massive demonstration in Athens, where 150,000 people participated.^[4] The following years he became active as a member of the exiled Northern Epirus lobby propagating discrimination of the Greek minority by the Communist regime of Albania.^[5]

References

^ Kondis, Basil (1990). The Greeks of Northern Epirus and Greek-Albanian relations: historical review from the Greek edition : v. 3, 1922-1929-v. 4, 1930-1940. Hestia. p. 41. ISBN 9789600507416.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fahlbusch, Erwin Bromiley, Geoffrey William (1999). The encyclopedia of Christianity. "Hestia" Publishers & Booksellers [Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing]. p. 35. ISBN 978-88-89345-04-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Oikonomou, Phōtios G. (1988). Ē Orthodoxos Ekklēsia tēs Alvanias, 1912-1988 kai ē symvolē tēs eis tēn diatērēsin tou Ellēnismou tēs Voreiou Ēpeirou Η Ορθόδοξος Εκκλησία της Αλβανίας 1912-1988 και η συμβολή της εις στην διατήρηση του Ελληνισμού της Βορείου Ηπείρου (in Greek). Nea Thesis. p. 24.
^ Tönes, Bernhard (1983). "Belastungsprobe für die albanisch-griechischen Beziehungen". Südosteuropa - Zeitschrift für Gegenwartsforschung (in German). Südost-Institut München. Abteilung Gegenwartsforschung: 440–456 [442].
^ Stephanidēs Giannēs D.; Stefanidis Ioannis D. (2007). Stirring the Greek nation: political culture, irredentism and anti-Americanism in post-war Greece, 1945-1967. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 40–115. ISBN 978-0-7546-6059-0.

[1] Kondis, Basil (1990). The Greeks of Northern Epirus and Greek-Albanian relations: historical review from the Greek edition : v. 3, 1922-1929-v. 4, 1930-1940. Hestia. p. 41. ISBN 9789600507416.

[encyc-2] Fahlbusch, Erwin Bromiley, Geoffrey William (1999). The encyclopedia of Christianity. "Hestia" Publishers & Booksellers [Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing]. p. 35. ISBN 978-88-89345-04-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[3] Oikonomou, Phōtios G. (1988). Ē Orthodoxos Ekklēsia tēs Alvanias, 1912-1988 kai ē symvolē tēs eis tēn diatērēsin tou Ellēnismou tēs Voreiou Ēpeirou Η Ορθόδοξος Εκκλησία της Αλβανίας 1912-1988 και η συμβολή της εις στην διατήρηση του Ελληνισμού της Βορείου Ηπείρου (in Greek). Nea Thesis. p. 24.

[4] Tönes, Bernhard (1983). "Belastungsprobe für die albanisch-griechischen Beziehungen". Südosteuropa - Zeitschrift für Gegenwartsforschung (in German). Südost-Institut München. Abteilung Gegenwartsforschung: 440–456 [442].

[5] Stephanidēs Giannēs D.; Stefanidis Ioannis D. (2007). Stirring the Greek nation: political culture, irredentism and anti-Americanism in post-war Greece, 1945-1967. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 40–115. ISBN 978-0-7546-6059-0.

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v t e Greeks in Albania
History	Ancient Epirus Chaonians Omphales Dexaroi Despotate of Epirus Revolt of 1567-1572 Revolt of 1854 Revolt of 1878 Himara revolt of 1912 Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus Northern Epirus Protocol of Corfu Greco-Italian War in southern Albania Morava–Ivan Korytsa Saranda Himara Klisura Pass Trebeshina Italian spring offensive Hill 731 Northern Epirus Liberation Front
Society and culture	Himariote dialect Laiko Vima Polyphonic song of Epirus Postage stamps and postal history Lasso fund Education: New Academy (Moscopole) Zographeion College (Qestorat) Acroceraunian School (Himara) Dhuvjan Monastery (Dropull) Bangas Gymnasium (Korçë)
Geography	Ancient: Chaonia, Parauaea Medieval and modern: Dryinopolis, Kolonia
Settlements¹	Ancient: Phoenice Vouthroton Avlon Apollonia Thronion Amantia Antigonia Antipatreia Oricon Modern: Gjirokastër Korçë Himara Delvinë Sarandë Dropull Pogon Përmet Leskovik Bilisht Moscopole Zvërnec Vlorë Berat Durrës
Organizations	Omonoia Panepirotic Federation of America Panepirotic Federation of Australia Unity for Human Rights Party
Individuals²	Benefactors: Apostol Arsache Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas Ioannis Pangas Georgios and Simon Sinas Alexandros and Michael Vasileiou Christakis Zografos Literature: Theodore Kavalliotis Katina Papa Konstantinos Skenderis Takis Tsiakos Tasos Vidouris Stavrianos Vistiaris Andreas Zarbalas Politics: Fredi Beleri Georgios Christakis-Zografos Spiro Ksera Vangjel Dule Vasilis Bolanos Military/Resistance: Kyriakoulis Argyrokastritis Dimitrios Doulis Nikolaos Dailakis Konstantinos Lagoumitzis Zachos Milios Athanasios Pipis Ioannis Poutetsis Vasileios Sachinis Georgios Soulios Spyromilios Spyros Spyromilios Sports: Pyrros Dimas Sotiris Ninis Panajot Pano Leonidas Sabanis Andreas Tatos Clergy: Photios Kalpidis Vasileios of Dryinoupolis Panteleimon Kotokos Eulogios Kourilas Lauriotis
¹ Includes localities with a substantial ethnic Greek population, or otherwise with any kind of cultural or other type of significance, historical or current, for the Greek minority in Albania. ² Includes individuals not necessarily of Greek ethnicity but with important contributions to Greek civilization.