Elder Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamon fell asleep in the Lord

Elder Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamon was born in 1931. He first studied at the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki for two years and then at the Theological School of the University of Athens, from which he graduated in 1955.

After completing his postgraduate studies abroad, he submitted a doctoral thesis at the Theological School of the University of Athens.

He taught Dogmatic Theology at the University of Edinburgh and was a Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Glasgow as well as a Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the University of Thessaloniki, of which he was Professor Emeritus.

He was also a visiting Professor of the Universities of London, Geneva, and Gregorian of Rome, as well as an honorary Professor of the Theological School of the University of Athens. He was invited to lecture at many foreign universities. He had participated in many scientific conferences internationally and had represented the Ecumenical Patriarchate for many years in international ecclesiastical organizations.

He was a member of the Central Committee and the Faith and Order Committee of the World Council of Churches, as well as the Orthodox Co-Chairman of the International Committee of the Official Orthodox-Anglican Theological Dialogue and the similar Committee of the Theological Dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics, and chaired the Fourth and Fifth Pre-Council Pan-Orthodox Conferences in Chambésy, Geneva.

Author of numerous scientific studies in many languages, he was honored with academic distinctions. In 1986 he was elected by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Metropolitan of Pergamon, and in 2014 he was elevated to Elder Metropolitan.