THE FORMER Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos I, died yesterday lunchtime following a lengthy illness. He was 80 years old.
His body will lie in state at Ayios Ioannis Cathedral church in Nicosia from 2pm today until midday tomorrow. His funeral will then follow at 1pm at the church of Panayia Evangelistria in Palouritissa. Archbishop Chrysostomos II will officiate.
The 80-year-old had been ill and incapacitated for several years, unable to perform his duties as head of the Church. He died at 12.06pm in his private apartments at the Archbishopric in Nicosia. His body was then taken to Nicosia General Hospital, where his death was confirmed.
His successor, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, elected to replace him last September, was in Paphos when he heard the news, immediately heading to Nicosia to lead prayers at the late Archbishop’s bedside.
The Holy Synod declared 30 days’ of mourning, during which flags will fly at half mast on all Church buildings.
Chrysostomos II expressed profound grief over the former Archbishop’s death. He said Chrysostomos I had been “a highly spiritual person, who had offered a lot to the island during difficult times”. He would “go down in history and in the memories of those who knew him and lived with him,” he said.
“His memory will serve to guide us all, as well as future generations, along the path of duty, both from a religious and from a national point of view,” the Archbishop added.
President Tassos Papadopoulos spoke of his “deep sorrow” at the former Archbishop’s death, highlighting his “contribution to the Church and to the struggle of the Cypriot people for justice”.
“He gave all of his person to the Church and to the fatherland,” the President said.
House Chairman and AKEL presidential candidate Demetris Christofias called the Archbishop to express his deepest condolences, adding he would suspend all campaign activity until December 27.
In a written statement, presidential candidate Ioannis Kasoulides of DISY expressed his sadness at the former Archbishop’s death.
Kasoulides said the Archbishop had for decades acted as the spiritual father of the people and had fought with dedication against the invasion and occupation of the island.
In April 2000, Chrysostomos I suffered a severe head injury when he fell from the staircase of the Archiepiscopal Palace and never recovered.
In 2004, it became known that he had Alzheimer’s disease.
Nevertheless, he remained head of the Church due to a lack of ecclesiastical legislation regarding cases of incapacity. It was only last year, following a broad meeting of senior clergymen in Switzerland, chaired by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, that it was decided to vacate the position of Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus, leading to the election of Chrysostomos II.
Chrysostomos I was born in the village of Statos in the Paphos district.
Serving as a monk at Kykkos Monastery, he won a scholarship to complete his studies at the Pancyprian Gymanisum from 1946 to 1950.
In 1952, the monastery paid for his education to study theology and literature at the University of Athens. He graduated in 1961 and returned to Cyprus where he was named an archimandrite.
From 1961 to 1966 taught in the Pancyprian Gymnasium Kykkos as a professor.
In 1966, he went to England for further studies.
In 1973 he was elected Bishop of Paphos until November 12, 1977 when he was elected Archbishop of Cyprus following the death of President and Archbishop of Cyprus Makarios III.
