Gregor Kallidis was an influential Eastern Orthodox metropolitan who lived from 1844 to 1925. Born in Kumbağ within the Ottoman Empire, he pursued theological studies in Siari, Riza, and at the University of Athens. Throughout his ecclesiastical career, he held several significant positions, serving as the bishop of Nazianzus, the metropolitan of Trebizond, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, and finally Heraklion and Rethymno. He is remembered for his leadership during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, where he worked to protect the Ioannina diocese from looting.
Ecclesiastical career
After his ordination in 1862, Kallidis rose through the church hierarchy. He served as an exarch in Edirne before being appointed metropolitan of Trebizond in 1879. His tenure in Thessaloniki involved complex administrative disputes, leading to a period in Constantinople where he held various leadership roles within the church administration. He later returned to the Ioannina see, where he provided stability during wartime conflicts.
Veneration
Kallidis was canonized by the Patriarchate in 2003, and his memory is also observed by the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1979, his remains were moved to the Saint Demetrios Basilica in Thessaloniki. Following the discovery of a pleasant fragrance emanating from his relics, many believers have sought healing near his shrine.