He attended St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute after which he was ordained a priest in 1985. Following this, he attended the Holy Cross Institute of Theology in Boston, Massachusetts. He was made auxiliary vicar of Benelux and, later in 1995, auxiliary Bishop of the same region.

Beyond his ministry, Metropolitan Emmanuel’s work sees him interacting with global leaders, religious and civic. He was appointed to the head of the Liaison Office in the European Union, putting him in direct contact with the political leaders of Europe. Furthermore, he was entrusted in 2001 with responsibilities for the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s International Interreligious Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions, furthering the opportunities which his skills in cross-cultural and cross-religious mediation provide for the Orthodox Church. His credits toward Interfaith action do not stop here, however. He also is responsible for Orthodox interactions with the Vatican, Eastern Asian Churches, Autocephalous Churches of Europe, and central Asia and represents the general Orthodox Patriarchate to the European Union. These distinguished positions have earned him, among other distinctions, the name of “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.”

As a Representative of the Orthodox Church with such a heavy involvement in world affairs, Metropolitan Emmanuel speaks often to the need for cooperation among faiths in order to bring about necessary social change.  Among other efforts, he has pioneered faith-based dialogue regarding climate-change and religiously-based Green movements.  Metropolitan Emmanuel’s comfort on the world stage, the work he has wrought from such a position and his devotion to the improvement on the planet on which he lives more enriches Religions for Peace’s World Council. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).

His Eminence was elected by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon on 16 February 2021.