His Beatitude Theophilos III

The Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III was elected the 141st primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem on August 22, 2005.

Formerly the Archbishop of Tabor, Theophilus was elected unanimously by Jerusalem's Holy Synod to succeed the deposed, Irenaios I. He is styled "Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, Arabia, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee and Holy Zion." His Beatitude is originally from Messinia, Greece.

He was born in 1952. and in July 1964, he entered the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. that same year, he entered the Patriarchal School in Jerusalem, finishing in June 1970. On June 28, 1970, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Theophilos by His Beatitude Benedict of Jerusalem. On July 1, 1970 ordained deacon by Archbishop Basilios of Jordan.

He served as archdeacon for then patriarch Benediktos. In 1975, ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Diodoros of Ierapolis.

That same year, he was sent to study at the theological department of the University of Athens by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
After his return to Jerusalem, he worked in the General Secretariat of the Holy Synod, the Patriarchal School, and St. Charalampos's Monastery.

In 1978, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
In 1981, he was appointed member of the editorial board of the "New Sion" journal.
In December 1981, he was sent to England to complete his post-graduate studies at Durham University. After his graduation in1986, appointed secretary for foreign relations of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
In 1988 appointed representative of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the Central Committee of the WCC.

From 1991 to 1996, he was hegumen of the Monastery of St. George the Trophy-Bearer in Cana of Galilee. In 1996, he was one of the first Christian clergymen in centuries to make an opening into Emirate of Qatar, a historically under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He subsequently served as Patriarchal Representative in Qatar. From 2001 to 2003 he was the representative of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to the Moscow Patriarchate and rector of the Jerusalem representation church in Moscow.

In 2003 he was appointed Patriarchal Representative in Doha in the State of Qatar.
In 2004, he was appointed senior custodian of the Holy Sepulchre and elected to the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On February 14, 2005 he was consecrated Archbishop of Mount Tabor.
On August 22, 2005 he was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem. His Beatitude besides his native Greek, he also speaks English and Arabic. Other Patriarchs of Jerusalem bearing the same name are Theofilos I, Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1012 to 1020, and Theofilos II, Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1417 to 1424.

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos gift to

The Representative of the State of Qatar in Jerusalem