Blackwolf's 10 Coolest Orthodox Christian Dudes!

He's one of the world's least-known Christian leaders, and this weekend he's doing ye Byg Appyl as part of a 6-week U.S. tour. He's 85- year-old His Holiness, Baselios Mor Thoma Didimos I, 89th successor to the apostolic throne of St. Thomas, Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Church, a/k/a the Indian Orthodox Church. They've got about 80 American-based parishes alone, 27 of them here in the New York Metro area, principally Queens, where the Headquarters are located in the Bellerose section.

Didimos took his throne last October when his predecessor, Mathews II, then in his 90s, and at the time the oldest active bishop in any Christian denomination, resigned due to failing health. It's Didimos' second ever visit to the States, having kicked off this past Tuesday, and in full effect until August 3rd. He'll also be doing L.A., Chicgao, Atlanta and a few other Indian Orthodox strongholds. While he's here in New York, he's hangin' out with 84-year-old Metropolitan Mathews Mar Barnabas, who's in charge of the over 20,000 U.S. members of the Church.

This being the weekend of Father's Day, your Dragonmaster figured it was time to salute some of me coolest, most favorite dudes in Orthodox Christianity. That said, here are me 10 Coolest Orthodox Christian Dudes! These picks are based mostly on web presence and portraiture --- in other words, they've got websites worth checkin' out.

10. His Beatitude, Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and all Africa
Birthname: Nicholas Choreftakis
Enthroned: 10/9/2004
Where he hangs out: www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/main.htm

9. His Grace, The Right Reverend Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West
Birthname: Vincent Peterson
Enthroned: 10/2/2007
Where he hangs out: www.ocadow.org

8. His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and all Albania
Birthname: Anastasios Yannoulatos
Enthroned: circa 1991
Where he hangs out: www.orthodoxalbania.org

7. His Holiness, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Syria and all India
Birthname: Zakka Seenaherib Severios
Enthroned: 9/14/1980
Where he hangs out: www.malankara.com
and orthodoxherald.com

6. His Beatitude, Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece
Birthname: Christodoulos Paraskevaides
Enthroned: 1998
Where he hangs out: www.ecclesia.gr

5. His Holiness, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia
Birthname: Alexey Mikhailovich Ridiger
Enthroned: 6/10/1990
Where he hangs out: www.mospat.ru

4. His Holiness, Catholicos Karekin II of all Armenia
Birthname: Karekin Nersissian
Enthroned: 12/4/1999
Where he hangs out: www.armenianchurch.org

3. His Holiness, Pope Shenouda III
Birthname: Nazeer Gayed
Enthroned: 11/14/1971
Where he hangs out: www.copticpope.org

2. His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios
Birthname: Demetrios Trakatellis
Enthroned: 9/18/1999
Where he hangs out: www.goarch.org/en/archbishop/demetrios/

1. His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Birthname: Dimitrios Arhondonis
Enthroned: 11/2/1991
Where he hangs out: www.ecupatriarchate.org

Well, Mortals, there they are: my 10 Coolest Orthodox Christian Dudes! Though their styles and demeanor and wisdom differ in certain ways, these guys continue to convince your Dragonmaster that, even in the weirdest of situations, Orthodox Christians know how to really keep their cool --- which, therefore, is exactly what makes them awesome!!!

As usual, I wanna know what you think, America. Gimme an e-mail at either electric_pirates@hotmail.com or blackbeardian@yahoo.com.

Master Blackwolf