 Bartholomew I was born as Dimitrios Arhondonis (), in the village of Agios Theodoros on the island of Imbros (later renamed Gökçeada by Turkey).After his graduation, he held a position at the Patriarchal Theological Seminary of Halki, where he was ordained a priest.Later, he served as metropolitan of Philadelphia and Chalcedon and he became a member of the Holy Synod as well as other committees, prior to his enthronement as ecumenical patriarch.