Father Antonios Papanikolaou (born 1971) is a Greek orthodox cleric and philanthropist.
Father Antonios was born in Chios, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. He was raised in Drapetsona, a poor suburban area near Athens. He has 4 brothers. [1] [2] He studied education, and Theology [3] Right after his graduation, he took part in Christian missions in African countries. [4]
In 1998 Father Antonios, then 26 years old, was ordinated a priest and founded the charity "Kivotos tou Kosmou" (Ark of the World) at Kolonos, an impoverished neighbourhood of Athens. [5] He kept Kivotos independent from the official Church of Greece. [6] In 2015, amidst the Greek refugee crisis Kivotos tou Kosmou expanded to the island of Chios, to host refugees. [7] [8] It has since helped hundreds of orphans or abandoned children. [9] [10] Father Antonios utilized his basketball skills to approach teenagers. [10] His inclusion of immigrants met the criticism of far-right activists and politicians. [6]
In 2015, Kivotos also expanded in Pogoniani, a village near the city of Ioannina, with an agricultural school in a rural Greek area, that received European Union's GENE Global Education Award 2020/2021 [11]
In 2022, after allegations of child abuse at the Kivotos, Archbishop Ieronymos launched an inquiry. [12] [13] [14]
He co-authored the book GROW – Stories of Management and Leadership (2020) [15]
Father Antonios is married.
This article needs additional or more specific
categories. (December 2022) |
Father Antonios Papanikolaou (born 1971) is a Greek orthodox cleric and philanthropist.
Father Antonios was born in Chios, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. He was raised in Drapetsona, a poor suburban area near Athens. He has 4 brothers. [1] [2] He studied education, and Theology [3] Right after his graduation, he took part in Christian missions in African countries. [4]
In 1998 Father Antonios, then 26 years old, was ordinated a priest and founded the charity "Kivotos tou Kosmou" (Ark of the World) at Kolonos, an impoverished neighbourhood of Athens. [5] He kept Kivotos independent from the official Church of Greece. [6] In 2015, amidst the Greek refugee crisis Kivotos tou Kosmou expanded to the island of Chios, to host refugees. [7] [8] It has since helped hundreds of orphans or abandoned children. [9] [10] Father Antonios utilized his basketball skills to approach teenagers. [10] His inclusion of immigrants met the criticism of far-right activists and politicians. [6]
In 2015, Kivotos also expanded in Pogoniani, a village near the city of Ioannina, with an agricultural school in a rural Greek area, that received European Union's GENE Global Education Award 2020/2021 [11]
In 2022, after allegations of child abuse at the Kivotos, Archbishop Ieronymos launched an inquiry. [12] [13] [14]
He co-authored the book GROW – Stories of Management and Leadership (2020) [15]
Father Antonios is married.
This article needs additional or more specific
categories. (December 2022) |