Christoforos Knitis - Overview

Overview

Knitis was born on 17 December 1872 and baptised Charidemos. He was born and raised in Vathi, on the island of Samos, and was the son of Charidemos Knitis and his wife Fioritsa. He studied at the University of Athens, and studied theology at the Theological School of Halki.

He was made deacon in on 19 July 1898 and took the name Christoforos. He became a teacher at his old high school, Pythagoreion Gymnasion, on Samos. In 1905, he spent a year studying theology and English at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and transferred to the University of Oxford where he graduated in 1909.

He was ordained priest on 23 April 1910, raised to the rank of archimandrite and then on 12 December titular bishop consecrated of Stauropolis. In 1918 he was elevated to metropolitan bishop of Serrai.