Papaflessas

Papaflessas , born Georgios Dimitrios Flessas , was a Greek patriot, priest, and government official of the old Flessas Family. The prefix papa in the name Papaflessas indicates his status as a cleric since the word means priest in Greek. He was ordained to the highest position of the priesthood, Archimandrites, in 1819. He served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Chief of Police in the government of Alexander Mavrocordatos. Papaflessas was killed during the Battle of Maniaki on May 20, 1825, fighting against the forces of Ibrahim Pasha at Maniaki, Messinia.

Gregory Papaflessas Dikaios or Georgios Flessas or Flesias , was born in 1788 in the village of Poliani in Messinia. His father was Demetrios G. Flessas , son of the klepht Georgios Dimitriou Flesaas , and his mother, the second wife of Demtrios, was Constantina Andronaiou from Dimitsana. In 1809, he attended school at the renowned school of Dimitsana, from whence many Greek national heroes graduated. While in school, he published a satire and pinned it on the door of Dimitsana Pasha signing it Gregorios PHOS Kalamios . Realizing he was in danger from his action he was sent in 1815 to become a priest or monk, taking the ecclesiastical name of Gregorios Flessas or Papaflessas. For a short time, he served in this capacity in the monastery of Velanidia, situated outside of the city of Kalamata, Messinia.

Source: Wikipedia