The Metropolis of Kastoria () is one of the metropolises of the New Lands in Greece that are within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople but de facto are administered for practical reasons as part of the Church of Greece under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople.

Kastoria is also a Latin Catholic titular see, and in the early 20th century hosted a Bulgarian Orthodox bishopric.

History

At first a suffragan of Thebes,Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ), p. 862 the bishopric was, at least by the reign of Basil II in the early 11th century, the first suffragan see of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. Le Quien mentions only three bishops, all of the period after the East–West Schism: Joasaph in 1564, Hierotheus, who went to Rome about 1650, and Dionysius Mantoucas; but that list can easily be extended.Sophrone Pétridès, "Castoria" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1908)

In the early 20th century the town was the seat of a Bulgarian Orthodox bishopric with 2,224 families, 32 priests, and 22 churches.

Today, for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece the see is the Metropolis of Kastoria and Exarchate for Upper Macedonia, in the so-called "New Lands" of Greece."New Lands" of Greece Holy Metropolis of Kastoria

On October 3, 2019 the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople resolved to glorify seven New Martyrs of Kastoria, at the proposal of Metropolitan Seraphim (Papakostas) of Kastoria, Οι αποφάσεις της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου. ΡΟΜΦΑΙΑ (Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο.). 03/10 18:44. Retrieved: 9 October 2019. Αναγραφή νέων Αγίων στους αγιολογικούς δέλτους της Εκκλησίας. ΠΕΜΠΤΟΥΣΙΑ. 3 Οκτωβρίου 2019. Retrieved: 9 October 2019.SEVEN NEW MARTYRS OF KASTORIA CANONIZED BY PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Orthodox Christianity. Istanbul, October 9, 2019. including the following:

New Martyr Markos Markoulis of Kleisoura, Kastoria, hanged in Argos Orestiko (1598) New Martyr Ioannis Noultzos, martyred together with his brother and brother-in-law in Kastoria (1696) New Martyr George of Kastoria, martyred by the Hagarenes in the Acarnania region. New Hieromartyr Vasilios Kalapaliki, priest of Chiliodendro, Kastoria (gr) (1902) Ιερά Αγρυπνία για τον Άγιο Νεομάρτυρα Βασίλειο του Χιλιοδένδρου [ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ]. Ιερά Μητρόπολη Καστοριάς. 07 Φεβρουάριος 2020. Retrieved: 14 February 2020. New Hieromartyr Archimandrite Platon (Aivazidis), Protosyncellus of Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis (1921)

The "Synaxis of the Saints of Kastoria" is a moveable feast that is held on the Third Sunday of November. Αγιολογία. Ιερά Μητρόπολη Καστοριάς. Retrieved: 14 February 2020.

Greek Orthodox Metropolitans

Kallinikos (Georgatos) 2021 Seraphim (Papakostas) 1996–2020 Σεραφείμ (κατά κόσμον Ιωάννης) Παπακώστας. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Gregorios III (Papoutsopoulos) 1985-1996 Γρηγόριος ο Γ' (Παπουτσόπουλος). Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Gregorios II (Maistros) 1974-1985 Γρηγόριος ο Β' (Μαΐστρος). Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Dorotheos (Giannaropoulos) 1958-1973 Δωρόθεος Γιανναρόπουλος. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Nikiphoros II (Papasideris) 1936-1958 Νικηφόρος Παπασιδέρης. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Ioakeim (Leptidis) 1911-1931 Ιωακείμ Λεπτίδης. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Ioakeim (Vaxevanidis) 1908-1911 Ιωακείμ Βαξεβανίδης. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Germanos (Karavangelis) 1900-1908 Γερμανός Καραβαγγέλης. Metropolis of Kastoria. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Athanasios (Kapouralis) 1899-1900 Philaretos (Vafeidis) 1889-1899 Gregorios (Drakopoulos) 1888-1889 Kyrillos (Dimitriadis) 1882-1888 Constantine (Isaakidis) 1880-1882 Hilarion 1874-1879 Nicephorus I 1841-1874 Athanasions (Mitilinaios) 1836-1841

Active Greek Orthodox Monasteries

For men

Dormition of the Virgin Mary - Panagia Mavriotissa Agion Anargyroi Melissotopos Agia Paraskevi Vasileiadou Agios Georgios Eptahoriou

For women

Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin of Kleisoura Saint Nicholas Tsirilovou Panagias Faneromenis Monastery of St. George Melanthiou

Latin bishopric

Some ten Latin bishops of Castoria are known from the 13th to the 15th centuries.Konrad Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, vol. 1 , p. 172; vol. 2, p. 120; vol. 3 , p. 157; vol. 4, p. 139; vol. 5, p. 148; vol. 6, p. 153; vol. 7, p. 140; vol. 8, pp. 190–191

Latin titular see

Castoria is listed by the Catholic Church as a titular bishopric since the 15th century.

It is vacant for decades, having had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank : Silvestro de Benedetti, OSBVall (1432.01.23 – ?) Francis Sexello, OFM (1507.01.07 – ?) Juan López (1520.09.22 – ?) François Daussayo, OESA (1531.03.18 – ?) Gedeon van der Gracht (1536.01.10 – ?) Charles Pinello, OESA (1546.04.16 – ?) Esteban de Esmir (1639.04.03 – 1641.01.05) Johannes van Neercassel, CO (1662.06.23 – 1686.06.06) Gioachino Maria de’ Oldo (1725.03.03 – 1726.12.09) Bishop-elect Paolino Sandulli, OSB (1727.03.17 – ?) John Mary of St. Thomas Albertini, OCD (1780.12.23 – 1783?) Charles Lamothe, MEP (1793.02.05 – 1816.05.22) Jean-Jacques Guérard, MEP (1816.05.23 – 1823.06.18) Francisco Ferreira de Azevedo (1820.05.29 – 1844.07.25) Jean-François Ollivier, MEP (1824.04.06 – 1827.05.27) Joseph-Marie-Pélagie Havard, MEP (1828.03.21 – 1838.07.05) John Fennelly (1841.04.30 – 1868.01.23) Johann Jakob Kraft (1868.09.24 – 1884.06.09) Francesco Gašparić (1884.11.13 – 1897) Gasparas Cirtautas (1897.07.21 – 1910.04.07) Marie-Augustine Chapuis, MEP (1911.03.06 – 1913.05.21) Ferenc Gossman (1913.07.01 – 1931.10.11) Joaquín Alcaide y Bueso, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1931.12.15 – 1943.02.21) Stanislas Courbe (1943.06.22 – 1971.04.22)

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links Ιερά Μητρόπολη Καστοριάς. (Metropolis of Kastoria).