On 3rd November 2019, His Grace, Bishop Elect Sozomenos, was Consecrated into the High-Priesthood, becoming the first legitimate resident Orthodox bishop in the British Isles, at least, since the schism which took place in the Orthodox world in 1924, when the Patriarchate of Constantinople decided to uncanonically, adopt the already condemned and anathematised Gregorian Calendar. On the same day, the Enthronement ceremony to took place, where Bishop Sozomenos was handed down the Pastoral Staff from the previous Acting Bishop of Genuine Orthodox Church of the British Isles, and thus, officially becoming 'Metropolitan of Mercia and the British Isles'.

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Interestingly, Bishop Sozomenos, comes from a family routed in the Church, as his great, great grandmother's brother, from Omodos, Cyprus, (also Bishop Sozomenos's maternal village), was a well known figure of the Church of Cyprus in the 19 the century, his name was Bishop Neophytos, and served as Metropolitan of Paphos between (1869-1888). He was also related to the then Archbishop of Cyprus, Makarios I (1854-1865) as well as his predecessor Metropolitan of Paphos Lavrentios (1855-1868).

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