Order of St. Sava presented to Prof. Dr Afksendyios Kalangos

His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia presented today, on March 12, 2010, at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, to Professor Dr. Afksendyios Kalangos from Geneva the Order of St. Sava of the First Degree. The highest distinction of our Holy Church was given to professor Kalangos in the presence of His Grace Bishop Irinej of Bachka, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Grace Vicar Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, Protopresbyter-Staurophor Sava Jovic, the Secretary General of the Holy Synod of Bishops, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic and Crown Princess Katherine, and members of the Crown Council, Messrs Dragomir Acovic and academician Matija Beckovic.

His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia stressed the merits and virtues of professor Kalangos, the expert of world renown and Orthodox Christian, an archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. His Holiness particularly pointed out professor's selfless devotion to the Children's Hospital in Tirshov street.

The decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church says that Prof. Afksendiyos Kalangos from Geneva was awarded with the Order of St. Sava for his active love towards the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people, particularly shown in his longtime humanitarian missions in the Republic of Serbia.

Prof. Dr. Avksentije Kalangos is the surgeon of the world renown and the archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, very active in Serbia in the treatment of the most serious cases of cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Professor Kalangos, the chief of cardiovascular surgery at the University Hospital in Geneva, has been, so far, six times in a working-humanitarian mission in Serbia. During his missions in Serbia, prof. Dr. Kalangos operated over thirty patients, children and adults suffering from congenital severe heart flaws at the University Children's Clinic in Tirsova Street and the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of the Clinical Center of Serbia. Her Highness Crown Princess Katherine and Prof. Dr. Kalangos are initiators of an opening of the first surgical department for treatment of congenital heart flaws in children and adults in Serbia at these health institutions. This department was opened on December 9, 2009, thanks to the generous help of the Heart Foundation for All of Professor Dr. Kalangosa.

Prof. Dr. Kalangos invests a great effort in preparation and training of Serbian medical experts by granting them scholarships and receiving them at the University Hospital in Geneva. Prof. Dr. Kalangos is Greek by origin and he is from Constantinople, of the Orthodox faith, parishioner of the Orthodox church municipality in Geneva. Has a Ph.D's in chemistry and medicine. He is the founder of two humanitarian organizations dedicated to the care of the youngest heart patients worldwide. He is the owner of the patent known as "Kalangos ring, which is unique in cardiovascular medicine, used in a heart valve reconstruction. In this part of the world it was first used in 2007 during the operation in the University Children's Clinic and in the Clinical Center of Serbia. These same year, Prof. Dr. Kalangos was declared as "The Best Belgrade citizen" for his deed by saving life of suffering girl Dejana. Whenever he comesto a working visit to Serbia, prof. Dr. Kalangos brings with him equipment necessary to perform the most complex cardiovascular procedures. The value of the equipment that he has brought in Serbia is over half a million.