RIP Archbishop Christodoulos
January 31st 2008 22:12
The funeral of Greek Archbishop Christodoulos was held on Thursday 31 January at 10am Greek time, after the 69 year old lost his battle with cancer in the early hours of Monday morning.
The funeral was a tribute to a man who devoted his life to the church and was attended by Greece's prominent political and religious figures, along with the men, women and children who crammed the streets outside in order to get one last glimpse of the Archbishop before he was taken to his final resting place.
Archibishop Christodoulos had been in this position since 1998 and in that time he managed to take Orthodoxy to new heights as well as coming under fire for his at times controversial views.
As a young person, what I will remember most from this great man, is his attitude towards young people and the way he brought Greek youth back to the church. He has been famously quoted as saying that young people are welcome at church, ''earrings, and all". Things that were previously not done at church, wearing pants for example, are now quite common and this has been due to Christodoulos' influence.
Growing up in Australia, and not in Greece, this change is still noted. Ten years ago, it would be unheard of to go to church wearing pants or jeans, and now just one visit will allow one to see earrings, short skirts and jeans worn by young believers who have returned to the church. Archbishop Christodoulos encouraged young people to attend, as they are and is even known for making jokes during his sermons. He was the people's Archbishop, someone the people looked up to as the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Further, the Archbishop also did much to end a rift between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican, with Pope John Paul II visiting Greece in 2001 and attending the Vatican himself in 2007 to meet Pope Benedict XVI. These visits marked the end of a nearly 1300 year rift between the two churches.
Archbishop Christodolous did much for Orthodoxy in his 10 years as Archbishop as well as in his roles prior. Since his diagnosis in June 2007, he handled his disease with grace and dignity and will be sorely missed not only by the Orthodox population in Greece but by many around the world.
Photo from Reuters
The funeral was a tribute to a man who devoted his life to the church and was attended by Greece's prominent political and religious figures, along with the men, women and children who crammed the streets outside in order to get one last glimpse of the Archbishop before he was taken to his final resting place.
Archibishop Christodoulos had been in this position since 1998 and in that time he managed to take Orthodoxy to new heights as well as coming under fire for his at times controversial views.
As a young person, what I will remember most from this great man, is his attitude towards young people and the way he brought Greek youth back to the church. He has been famously quoted as saying that young people are welcome at church, ''earrings, and all". Things that were previously not done at church, wearing pants for example, are now quite common and this has been due to Christodoulos' influence.
Growing up in Australia, and not in Greece, this change is still noted. Ten years ago, it would be unheard of to go to church wearing pants or jeans, and now just one visit will allow one to see earrings, short skirts and jeans worn by young believers who have returned to the church. Archbishop Christodoulos encouraged young people to attend, as they are and is even known for making jokes during his sermons. He was the people's Archbishop, someone the people looked up to as the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Further, the Archbishop also did much to end a rift between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican, with Pope John Paul II visiting Greece in 2001 and attending the Vatican himself in 2007 to meet Pope Benedict XVI. These visits marked the end of a nearly 1300 year rift between the two churches.
Archbishop Christodolous did much for Orthodoxy in his 10 years as Archbishop as well as in his roles prior. Since his diagnosis in June 2007, he handled his disease with grace and dignity and will be sorely missed not only by the Orthodox population in Greece but by many around the world.
Photo from Reuters
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