Father Alex Karloutsos to retire from Archdiocese

Father Alex Karloutsos, also known as “Father Alex,” has announced his retirement as Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

In a letter to Archbishop Elpidophoros on March 25, Father Alex Karloutsos says that he had originally submitted his resignation last year, when he turned 75, but it was not accepted.

“However, I feel more than ever that I must retire when I turn 76 on April 5, and would like, hopefully, my retirement from active ministry to take effect on May 3,” he says.

In the same letter, Father Alex, who is considered one of the most influential clergymen in the history of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and a close friend of US President Joe Biden, pledges to remain active in the functions of the Church. 

“I will retire, but not retreat,” he says in the letter, while asking for permission to continue working on the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, as well as to serve as spiritual adviser to the “Friends of St. Nicholas.”