The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, has unanimously elected two new bishops for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA).
Rev. Athinagoras Karakonstantakis, Archdeacon of the Archdiocese, was elected Regional Bishop of Canberra. The Very Reverend Archimandrite Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, was elected Assistant Bishop to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, with the title of Kerasounta.
The elections follow the extraordinary three-day session of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the GOAA, held in Sydney from 21 to 23 August under the presidency of Archbishop Makarios, during which triprosopa (shortlists of three candidates) were approved and forwarded to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the canonical election process.
Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta
Born Nickolaos Krikelis in Geelong, Victoria, in 1981, the newly-elected Bishop Christophoros was raised in an Orthodox family by his father, Protopresbyter Fr Jordan Krikelis, and his mother, Presvytera Polyxeni.
He studied Business Studies and Education in Melbourne, working for a decade in Catholic education before pursuing further theological training. In 2015, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Catholic Studies at the Australian Catholic University, followed by a Bachelor of Theology from St Andrew’s Theological College in 2019.
That same year he was tonsured a monk, ordained deacon, and appointed Director of the Archbishop’s Personal Office. In 2020, he was ordained presbyter, elevated to Archimandrite, and later appointed Dean of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Sydney. Since 2021 he has served as Chancellor of the Archdiocese, and in 2022 was honoured as an Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne.
As Bishop of Kerasounta, he will continue to serve as Chancellor (Protosyncellus) of the GOAA and Vicar of the Immediate Archdiocesan District, assisting Archbishop Makarios in pastoral and administrative duties.
Bishop Athinagoras of Canberra
Born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1984, Bishop-elect Athinagoras distinguished himself as a physicist before entering the priesthood. He graduated top of his class at the University of Crete with a Bachelor’s degree (2006) and Master’s degree (2008) in Physics, before continuing his studies at Stanford University, where he earned a Master of Science (2010) and a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics (2013).
He served as a visiting professor at Stanford and received multiple awards, including the Kirkpatrick Award for Outstanding Teaching and the Fotinos Award, while also being a Lillian Voudouri Foundation fellow. Later, he pursued theological studies at the Higher Patriarchal Ecclesiastical Academy of Crete, graduating in 2021.
His ecclesiastical path began with his tonsure as a monk at the Monastery of Saint George Epanosifis in 2017, followed by ordination as Deacon later that year by Archbishop Makarios. Since 2019, he has served the GOAA as Director of Finance and was later elevated to Archdeacon.
Now entrusted with the leadership of the Canberra region, Bishop-elect Athinagoras brings together a rare blend of scientific scholarship, administrative ability, and pastoral devotion to serve the Orthodox faithful in Australia’s capital.
