Bishop Eulogios (Kourilas) of Korçë
Encyclopedia
Eulogios Kourilas Lauriotis or Evlogji Kurila (1880–1961) was the Orthodox bishop of Korçë
(Korytsa) in Albania
between 1937 and 1939, and a professor of philosophy and author on religious matters.
(Zititsa in Greek)(then Ottoman Empire
) in 1880 and had an Albanian
family background. During his youth he was attracted by ascetic
and monastic
ideals and joined the monastic community of Mount Athos
. He graduated from the local Athonite School
(1901) and the Phanar Greek Orthodox College
in Istambul. He continued his studies in the Philosophy department of the University of Athens, where he acquired his Ph.D.
in Humanities
. He continued studies in Germany. Kourilas also participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
and during the Balkan Wars
(1912–1913) he was in charge of 100 armed men, among them many priests, that fought for Greece
in the area of Chalkidiki.
After an agreement with the Albanian authorities, in 1937, the Ecumenical Patriarchate chose a number of highly educated religious personalities for key positions in the recently declared as autocephalous
Orthodox Church of Albania
. Among them where Panteleimon Kotokos
as bishop of Gjirokastër and Eulogios Kourilas as bishop of Korçë. When the communist regime of Enver Hoxha
came to power in Albania in 1945, he was declared an "enemy of the state
" and was deprived from the Albanian citizenship. By then he was already living in Greece where, parallel to his academic work, together with Panteleimon Kotokos became the heads of the Northern Epirus Central Committee propagating that parts of southern Albania, known among Greeks as Northern Epirus
should be awarded to Greece.
He became professor at School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
(1935–1937) and of the University of Athens (1942–1949)(Papyrous-Larousse).
He donated a significant part (10,000 volumes) of his library to the University of Ioannina
.
He died in Stratonike, Chalkidiki, 1961.
|publisher=Përpjekja, Volume 20 Religion and Albanians , 2005, pp. 113-127
|url=http://bizantin.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/evllogji-kurilla-rrefimi-i-identitetit-kulturor/
}}
Korçë
Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
(Korytsa) in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
between 1937 and 1939, and a professor of philosophy and author on religious matters.
Life
He was born in the Albanian village of ZiçishtZiçisht
Ziçisht is a settlement in the Devoll District, southeastern Albania. It is part of the municipality Miras.It has a population of about 300. Many of its people emigrated to Greece or the United States because of the harsh living conditions.-Notable people:...
(Zititsa in Greek)(then Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
) in 1880 and had an Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
family background. During his youth he was attracted by ascetic
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
and monastic
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
ideals and joined the monastic community of Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. He graduated from the local Athonite School
Athonite Academy
The Athonite or Athonias Academy is a Greek Orthodox educational institution founded at 1749 in Mount Athos, then in the Ottoman Empire and now in Greece. The school offered high level education, where ancient philosophy and modern physical science were taught...
(1901) and the Phanar Greek Orthodox College
Phanar Greek Orthodox College
-See also:*Fener*Greeks in Turkey*Zografeion Lyceum*List of schools in Istanbul*Ottoman Greeks...
in Istambul. He continued his studies in the Philosophy department of the University of Athens, where he acquired his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
. He continued studies in Germany. Kourilas also participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
Greek Struggle for Macedonia
The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
and during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
(1912–1913) he was in charge of 100 armed men, among them many priests, that fought for Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in the area of Chalkidiki.
After an agreement with the Albanian authorities, in 1937, the Ecumenical Patriarchate chose a number of highly educated religious personalities for key positions in the recently declared as autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox Church of Albania
Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. It declared its autocephaly in 1922, and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937....
. Among them where Panteleimon Kotokos
Panteleimon Kotokos
Panteleimon Kotokos was the Greek Orthodox bishop of Gjirokastër and a member of the exiled Northern Epirus lobby after the end of World War II....
as bishop of Gjirokastër and Eulogios Kourilas as bishop of Korçë. When the communist regime of Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
came to power in Albania in 1945, he was declared an "enemy of the state
Enemy of the state
An enemy of the state is a person accused of certain crimes against the state, such as treason. Describing individuals in this way is sometimes a manifestation of political repression. For example, an authoritarian regime may purport to maintain national security by describing social or political...
" and was deprived from the Albanian citizenship. By then he was already living in Greece where, parallel to his academic work, together with Panteleimon Kotokos became the heads of the Northern Epirus Central Committee propagating that parts of southern Albania, known among Greeks as Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albania. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
should be awarded to Greece.
He became professor at School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
(1935–1937) and of the University of Athens (1942–1949)(Papyrous-Larousse).
Works
Eulogios Kourilas wrote several historical, philosophical and theological books. His main works are (titles translated from Greek):- History of Ascetism (1929)
- Catalogue of Kausokalyvia codices (1930)
- Albanian studies (1933)
- Gregorios Argyrokastritis (1935)
- Moschopolis and its New Academy (1935)
- Heraclea Sacra (1942) (title in latin)
- Hellenism and Christianism (1944)
- Patriarchic History (1951).
He donated a significant part (10,000 volumes) of his library to the University of Ioannina
University of Ioannina
The University of Ioannina is a university lying in the plains 5 km southwest of Ioannina, Greece. The campus is linked to the town by Greek National Road 5. It now hosts over 20,000 students in 17 faculties...
.
He died in Stratonike, Chalkidiki, 1961.
External links
- Bibliography of Eulogios Kourilas. googleboks)
|publisher=Përpjekja, Volume 20 Religion and Albanians , 2005, pp. 113-127
|url=http://bizantin.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/evllogji-kurilla-rrefimi-i-identitetit-kulturor/
}}