COUCOUZIS, IAKOVOS

COUCOUZIS, IAKOVOS, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, (29 July 1911– ). In 1934 he graduated from the Theological School of Halki, was ordained to the diaconate, and served as archdeacon from 1934 to 1939. In 1940 he was ordained to the priesthood, serving several U.S. parishes until 1954 when he became dean of Holy Cross Theological School, Brookline, Massachusetts. He received an S.T.M. from Harvard in 1945, was elevated to the episcopate in 1954, became metropolitan in 1956, and archbishop in 1969. Always active in ecumenical affairs, he represented the Ecumenical Patriarchate (q.v.) at the World Council of Churches, Geneva, between 1955 and 1968. His ministry as exarch (q.v.) to the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been characterized by the involvement of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America (q.v.) in American culture.