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Father Antonios Papanikolaou

Father Antonios Papanikolaou (born 1971) is a Greek orthodox cleric and philanthropist.

Early life

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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]

Work

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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]

Personal life

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Father Antonios is married.

Awards

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  • 2019, The Mary Chirwa Award for Courageous Leadership[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Karaiskaki, Tasoula (2020-07-07). πατέρας Αντώνιος Παπανικολάου στην «Κ»: Η πρόοδος χρειάζεται γενναιότητα. Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  2. ^ Pantazopoulos, Giannis (2018-12-24). Ο πατέρας Αντώνιος, ένας ήρωας του καιρού, μιλά στη LIFO. LiFO (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  3. ^ Πατέρας Αντώνιος Παπανικολάου. LiFO (in Greek). 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  4. ^ "Αντώνιος Παπανικολάου«Από ένα περιοδικό έγινα ιερέας» - νέα - Το Βήμα Online". Ειδήσεις - νέα - Το Βήμα Online (in Greek). 2010-04-03. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  5. ^ a b Tsoni, Paula (2022-11-19). "Children's Charity in Greece Rocked by Allegations of Abuse". GreekReporter. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  6. ^ a b Strachwitz, R. (2019). Religious Communities and Civil Society in Europe: Analyses and Perspectives on a Complex Interplay, Volume I. Maecenata Schriften. De Gruyter Oldenbourg. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-11-064146-2. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  7. ^ Θεοδωρόπουλος, Τάκης (2019-11-28). "Ο π. Αντώνιος απέναντι στην υποκρισία". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  8. ^ Sarantopoulou, Maira (1980-01-01). Πατέρας Αντώνιος - Κιβωτός του Κόσμου: Το πιο μεγάλο δώρο είναι η προσφορά. ΕΘΝΟΣ (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  9. ^ Hadjimatheou, Chloe (2012-01-10). "The Greek parents too poor to care for their children". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  10. ^ a b Chrysopoulos, Philip (2018-10-09). "Father Antonios Awarded European Citizen's Prize". GreekReporter. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  11. ^ Καραϊσκάκη, Τασούλα (2021-05-24). "Βάλσαμο ψυχής από γη και ζωντανά…". kathimerini.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  12. ^ Zachariadi, Eirini (2022-11-20). "Archbishop Ieronymos: Inquiry Launched into Charges Regarding "Kivotos tou Kosmou"". The National Herald. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  13. ^ Gogos, Christopher (2022-11-20). "Leaked case file reveals Greek charity Ark of the World under investigation over sexual abuse, beating and negligence allegations". NEOS KOSMOS. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  14. ^ Magra, Iliana (2022-11-19). "More abuse claims about Ark of the World expected". Kathimerini. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  15. ^ "Στους φόβους μου απαντώ με το «παρών» μου". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  16. ^ Dafermou, Katerina (2008-12-31). Η Ακαδημία βράβευσε τις επιστήμες και το ήθος. Το Βήμα (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  17. ^ Ο πατέρας Αντώνιος από την «Κιβωτό του Κόσμου» κέρδισε το Βραβείο του Ευρωπαίου Πολίτη. LiFO (in Greek). 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
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