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Metropolitan Theoleptos of Ikonion, Hypertimos and Exarch of all Lycaonia, fell asleep in the Lord suddenly on Thursday, June 18, 2026, the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced. He was 69.
The announcement, issued by the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod, said that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Hierarchs present in Constantinople convened in an extraordinary meeting on Friday, June 19, after receiving the grievous news. During the meeting, the Ecumenical Patriarch announced the repose of the late hierarch and spoke of his personality and service to the Mother Church, both in the Patriarchal Court and as Metropolitan of Ikonion. The hierarchs then rose and prayed for his blessed memory and the eternal repose of his soul “in the tabernacles of the righteous.”
According to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the funeral service will be chanted at the Patriarchal Church of St. George the Great Martyr and Trophy-bearer at the Phanar on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at noon. Earlier that day, the Divine Liturgy for the repose of Metropolitan Theoleptos’ soul will be celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos. The funeral oration will be delivered by Deacon Evlogios Tsatsas, Codicographer of the Holy and Sacred Synod, and interment will take place at the Holy Transfiguration Cemetery in Şişli.
His All-Holiness also offered a Trisagion service for the late Metropolitan on Friday, June 19, at the Patriarchal Church, with Hierarchs of the Throne and clergy of the Patriarchal Court joining in prayer.
Metropolitan Theoleptos was born Iakovos Fenerlis on April 17, 1957, in Therapia on the Bosphorus, to George and Olga Fenerlis. He received his early education in his native community and continued his studies at the historic Zographeion Gymnasium-Lyceum of Constantinople before studying theology at the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He was ordained to the diaconate on March 27, 1977, at the Patriarchal Church of St. George by his elder, the then Metropolitan of Philadelphia and now Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, receiving the ecclesiastical name Theoleptos. His ministry began in the Patriarchal Court, where he served as Patriarchal Deacon, Deacon of the Order, Third-ranking and Second-ranking Patriarchal Deacon.
On November 14, 1995, he was named Grand Archdeacon by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Two years later, on October 18, 1997, he was made Grand Chancellor (Protosyncellus). He was ordained to the priesthood during the Patriarchal and Synodal Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple on November 21, 1997, and was then formally elevated to the office of Grand Protosyncellus.
At the September 4, 2000, session of the Holy and Sacred Synod, following the proposal of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he was elected Metropolitan of Ikonion. He was consecrated bishop on September 10, 2000, and continued in parallel as Chancellor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate until November 30, 2007.
Throughout his ministry, Metropolitan Theoleptos represented the Mother Church on missions abroad, accompanied the late Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on pastoral journeys across the world, and participated in Patriarchal Exarchates to Mount Athos. From 2001 onward, he periodically participated in the work of the Holy and Sacred Synod and served on Synodal Committees.
Metropolitan Theoleptos met Archbishop Elpidophoros of America on Mount Athos when the future Archbishop was still a student at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he served at the diaconal ordination of Archbishop Elpidophoros on April 17, 1994.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America released this statement:
“I received this sad news with grievous pain in my heart, as we labored together at the Phanar for so many years, under the loving guidance of His All-Holiness. The blessed Metropolitan Theoleptos was a true son of Constantinople and of the Mother Church, who gave his entire life to Her service. His devotion and dedication to our Ecumenical Patriarchate will never be forgotten.”
May his memory be eternal.
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