ARCHBISHOP Chrysostomos celebrated his 75th birthday at the Archbishopric yesterday, where he was paid a short visit by President Glafcos Clerides.
Health Minister Frixos Savvides, the Bishop of Kitium, Chrysostomos, and close relatives were also present to wish the primate well and a speedy recovery.
The President left the Archbishop within 30 minutes of arrival, making no statements before his departure.
Savvides said after the visit that Chrysostomos was in good spirits, adding that as time passed, the decision to bring him to Cyprus would be further justified. He gave strong recommendations to the Archbishop’s medical staff to limit visiting time to a few minutes, especially from his relatives, whose demands, he noted, often had an “oppressive influence” on his state of mind.
“The more stress we give him, the more we delay his recovery. When he feels pressured, he refuses to co-operate with physiotherapists, speech therapists and others. He must remain in a relaxed environment to get better,” he said.
The minister said the signs of recovery were hopeful, but added that anyone suffering from health problems would not likely be rushed into returning to work.
Savvides will appoint a medical council to decide on the state of the archbishop’s health and his chances of recovery, but not on whether he should return to his duties. “That is a question for the Holy Synod to decide,” he said.
He likened the Archbishop’s transfer, undertaken by his relatives, from the Athens Evangelismos state hospital, to the Igeia private clinic, to a kidnapping. “I can honestly say that during the last three months his progress at the clinic was a big secret to me. No reports or updates reached the Health Ministry during that time,” said Savvides.
Regarding the decision for him to be appointed to oversee the Archbishop’s recovery, the minister pointed out that three conditions had had to be met: the Holy Synod had unanimously to agree to his appointment, to the primate’s return to Cyprus, and to giving Savvides ‘carte blanche’ in his duties.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Kitium yesterday described Chrysostomos’ condition as very good, saying he was able to walk around the verandas of the Archbishopric unassisted. He refused to comment on a possible meeting of the Holy Synod, maintaining that it was a matter that would be considered at a later date.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
