Primat de l’Église orthodoxe de Grèce, l’archevêque Christodoulos d’Athènes est mort tôt lundi 28 janvier à Athènes. Atteint d’une tumeur au foie, l’archevêque, âgé de 69 ans, souffrait depuis plusieurs mois d’un cancer du foie qui l’avait obligé l’été dernier à se rendre à Miami (États-Unis) pour y subir une transplantation qui a finalement échoué. Ce personnage haut en couleur, très populaire en Grèce, était alors rentré dans son pays pour une chimiothérapie qu’il a finalement renoncé à suivre.
Originaire de Thrace (nord), Christos Paraskevaidis a d’abord été diplômé en droit avant d’entrer, en 1961, au monastère de Varlaam, dans les Météores. Diacre en 1961, il est ordonné prêtre en 1965 et devient curé à Palaio-Phalero, à Athènes. Secrétaire général du saint-synode de l’Église orthodoxe de Grèce en 1967, il est nommé, en 1974, métropolite de Dimitria – ancien nom de Volos, en Thessalie (centre). En 1985, il reçoit en outre la responsabilité nationale des relations œcuméniques de son Église.
En 1998, quand l’orthodoxie grecque doit chercher un successeur à l’archevêque Seraphim, elle se tourne vers cet homme au profil moderne, apprécié des jeunes de son diocèse pour son dynamisme. Marquée par les dernières années du ministère d’un prélat malade, elle choisit – pour la première fois sans interférence du gouvernement – un primat charismatique, le plus jeune de son histoire, pour affronter les défis qu’elle perçoit : les relations au monde moderne et les rapports Églises-État.
Intense travail social
De fait, les années de Mgr Christodoulos comme archevêque d’Athènes sont marquées par un nouvel élan de l’Église de Grèce qu’il lance dans un intense travail social. Soucieux de répondre au mieux aux défis modernes, il crée aussi une commission de bioéthique et demeure très attentif à la parole de l’Église orthodoxe dans la vie sociale. Ce qui ne va pas, parfois, sans frictions avec le gouvernement. Ainsi en 2000, quand le primat orthodoxe prend la tête d’une fronde contre un projet gouvernemental visant à supprimer toute mention d’appartenance confessionnelle sur les cartes d’identité.
« La crise spirituelle qui frappe actuellement l’Europe a son origine dans la laïcité qui n’a pas pu soutenir les peuples européens. Aujourd’hui, les autres confessions chrétiennes luttent pour ramener le Christ dans leurs sociétés », lance-t-il alors, au cours d’une manifestation de 200 000 personnes au cœur d’Athènes.
Soucieux de la place de l’orthodoxie dans la société grecque, il l’est aussi de celle de l’Église de Grèce dans l’orthodoxie mondiale. L’archevêque Christodoulos s’est ainsi opposé fermement au patriarche de Constantinople à propos des « Nouveaux territoires », ces diocèses du nord de la Grèce « confiés » en 1928 par Constantinople à l’administration de l’Église de Grèce.
Engagement oecuménique
En 2004, Athènes et Constantinople en viendront même à rompre – temporairement – leur communion. Au-delà de questions de juridiction, c’est la prééminence même dans l’orthodoxie grecque qui fait question entre le Patriarcat œcuménique et l’une des Églises les plus riches de l’orthodoxie.
Sur le plan des relations avec les autres Églises chrétiennes, le mandat de l’archevêque Christodoulos aura été marqué par la venue de Jean-Paul II à Athènes en mai 2001. Un voyage dont le point culminant sera la repentance du pape pour le sac de Constantinople par les croisés en 1204, blessure toujours vive dans l’âme des orthodoxes. Si cette visite permit aux deux Églises d’établir de solides relations de coopération – notamment dans la formation des prêtres, avec des échanges fructueux en la matière – l’opposition conservatrice au sein du saint-synode grec freinera bien des élans. Et il faudra plus de cinq ans pour que le primat de Grèce soit autorisé – une première, là aussi – à se rendre en retour à Rome, pour rencontrer cette fois Benoît XVI.
Mort prématurément, Mgr Christodoulos laisse une Église grecque en chantier. S’il a su lui garder toute sa place dans la société, le délicat dossier des relations Église-État est loin d’être réglé. Perpétuellement remis en cause, le statut de religion officielle dont bénéficie toujours l’orthodoxie ne demeure que par la peur des politiques d’affronter une Église orthodoxe encore très puissante, quoique régulièrement secouée par des scandales financiers.
Les obsèques du primat devraient avoir lieu jeudi 31 janvier, tandis que le saint-synode dispose de vingt jours pour élire un nouvel archevêque.
Foule de fideles aux obseques de Mgr. Christodoulos
(Source: La Croix)
Showing posts with label Archbishop Christodoulos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Archbishop Christodoulos. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
"Blessed Memory"
New York, NY – With great sorrow and deep heartfelt emotion the entire flock of the Holy Archdiocese of America learned of the passing of the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos of blessed memory.
His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America, as soon as he was informed of the passing of the late Archbishop Christodoulos, issued this statement:
"The passing of the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos of blessed memory, saddens us deeply, for with his departure from this world the Church has lost an exceptional and highly esteemed Hierarch, as well as a brilliant champion of Orthodoxy and of the universal values of the Hellenic cultural tradition. I had the special honor to know him from the time he attended high school, and afterwards, to appreciate his dynamism, his kindness, his intellect and his great offering to the Church in important areas such as the divine worship, pastoral and social care, as well as inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations. I pray fervently to the Lord for the repose of the soul of the distinguished and ever-memorable brother and concelebrant, the late Archbishop Christodoulos, in the tabernacles of the saints and of the righteous."
(From GOARCH)
Church officials take part in a funeral procession for Greek church leader Archbishop Christodoulos, in front of the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Gate in Athens, Greece.
The Greek flag flies at half-mast in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropilis hill, in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008.
(Source San Jose Mercury)
Faleceu o Primaz Ortodoxo da Grécia Christodoulos: funeral na Quinta feira dia 31 de Janeiro.
(Read the story from Radio Vaticano)
His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America, as soon as he was informed of the passing of the late Archbishop Christodoulos, issued this statement:
"The passing of the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos of blessed memory, saddens us deeply, for with his departure from this world the Church has lost an exceptional and highly esteemed Hierarch, as well as a brilliant champion of Orthodoxy and of the universal values of the Hellenic cultural tradition. I had the special honor to know him from the time he attended high school, and afterwards, to appreciate his dynamism, his kindness, his intellect and his great offering to the Church in important areas such as the divine worship, pastoral and social care, as well as inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations. I pray fervently to the Lord for the repose of the soul of the distinguished and ever-memorable brother and concelebrant, the late Archbishop Christodoulos, in the tabernacles of the saints and of the righteous."
(From GOARCH)
Church officials take part in a funeral procession for Greek church leader Archbishop Christodoulos, in front of the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Gate in Athens, Greece.
The Greek flag flies at half-mast in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropilis hill, in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008.
(Source San Jose Mercury)
Faleceu o Primaz Ortodoxo da Grécia Christodoulos: funeral na Quinta feira dia 31 de Janeiro.
(Read the story from Radio Vaticano)
"Bells Tolled Across Athens..."
"Bells tolled across Athens and canon shots were fired as Greece on Thursday buried the head of its Church, Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos, with a funeral befitting a head of state.
Tens of thousands of mourners followed a funeral procession through the city centre to Athens cemetery as public offices and schools were shut on a day of nationwide mourning for the passing of the head of the country's powerful church.
Christodoulos, who mended ties with the Vatican but clashed with the Greek state, died after a seven-month battle with cancer on Monday at the age of 69. The Church said a successor would be elected by the Holy Synod on February 7.
Supporters {!!!} shouted "Goodbye" as flowers rained down from the crowd onto his body, perched high on a platform towed by a military truck.
"He was the shining light in my life, giving me courage, strength and faith," said Soula Athanasopoulou, 69, who traveled from the northern port city of Thessaloniki for the funeral. "I could not be anywhere else today."
She stood outside Athens cathedral with thousands of other black-clad mourners, many weeping and others sitting quietly for hours on the pavement.
Christodoulos, who became the youngest head of the powerful Church of Greece in 1998, won over Greeks with his laid-back approach and media-friendly image but his fierce clashes with the state eventually drove some of his flock away.
Earlier President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis as well as ministers, church delegates and a 12-member delegation from the Vatican, attended the funeral mass at the cathedral.
Mourners lined the streets as the funeral procession, including military units, hundreds of priests and a band wound its way past the parliament to the cemetery, where Christodoulos was buried amid the loud weeping of dozens of clerics.
"He gave young people the respect that other older people never showed us," student Stamatis Apostolou, 28, said. "I am here today to thank him for that."
Tens of thousands of Greeks paid their respects during a three-day wake, queuing for as many as four hours.
"With his actions our brother enriched the Church of Greece," Orthodox Patriach Bartholomew said in a brief speech.
Athens mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis said in his speech: "Today we bid farewell to an important Greek. We hope your work will find competent successors."
The head of about 10 million Greek Orthodox faithful, Christodoulos was a staunch defender of the role of the church in Greece.
He is credited with improving ties with the Vatican, agreeing to a 2001 visit by Pope John Paul that marked a turning point in relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches following the Great Schism of 1054 that split Christianity.
But a bitter feud with the then socialist government over new ID cards -- which according to European Union directives no longer listed a person's religion --, his frequent tirades against the EU and European culture and negative references to Turks and homosexuals chipped away at his popularity".
(Source: Reuters)
"ATHENS, Greece (AP) - The popular, outspoken head of Greece's powerful Orthodox Church was buried Thursday in a state funeral attended by thousands of mourners and top Greek officials.Mourners bearing flags clapped and a 21-gun salute rang out as Archbishop Christodoulos' open casket wound through the city center on a carriage, followed by a large cortege on foot.
Tens of thousands of mourners followed a funeral procession through the city centre to Athens cemetery as public offices and schools were shut on a day of nationwide mourning for the passing of the head of the country's powerful church.
Christodoulos, who mended ties with the Vatican but clashed with the Greek state, died after a seven-month battle with cancer on Monday at the age of 69. The Church said a successor would be elected by the Holy Synod on February 7.
Supporters {!!!} shouted "Goodbye" as flowers rained down from the crowd onto his body, perched high on a platform towed by a military truck.
"He was the shining light in my life, giving me courage, strength and faith," said Soula Athanasopoulou, 69, who traveled from the northern port city of Thessaloniki for the funeral. "I could not be anywhere else today."
She stood outside Athens cathedral with thousands of other black-clad mourners, many weeping and others sitting quietly for hours on the pavement.
Christodoulos, who became the youngest head of the powerful Church of Greece in 1998, won over Greeks with his laid-back approach and media-friendly image but his fierce clashes with the state eventually drove some of his flock away.
Earlier President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis as well as ministers, church delegates and a 12-member delegation from the Vatican, attended the funeral mass at the cathedral.
Mourners lined the streets as the funeral procession, including military units, hundreds of priests and a band wound its way past the parliament to the cemetery, where Christodoulos was buried amid the loud weeping of dozens of clerics.
"He gave young people the respect that other older people never showed us," student Stamatis Apostolou, 28, said. "I am here today to thank him for that."
Tens of thousands of Greeks paid their respects during a three-day wake, queuing for as many as four hours.
"With his actions our brother enriched the Church of Greece," Orthodox Patriach Bartholomew said in a brief speech.
Athens mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis said in his speech: "Today we bid farewell to an important Greek. We hope your work will find competent successors."
The head of about 10 million Greek Orthodox faithful, Christodoulos was a staunch defender of the role of the church in Greece.
He is credited with improving ties with the Vatican, agreeing to a 2001 visit by Pope John Paul that marked a turning point in relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches following the Great Schism of 1054 that split Christianity.
But a bitter feud with the then socialist government over new ID cards -- which according to European Union directives no longer listed a person's religion --, his frequent tirades against the EU and European culture and negative references to Turks and homosexuals chipped away at his popularity".
(Source: Reuters)
"ATHENS, Greece (AP) - The popular, outspoken head of Greece's powerful Orthodox Church was buried Thursday in a state funeral attended by thousands of mourners and top Greek officials.Mourners bearing flags clapped and a 21-gun salute rang out as Archbishop Christodoulos' open casket wound through the city center on a carriage, followed by a large cortege on foot.
"The archbishop was close to the people and the people loved him. We honor him today," Bishop Simeon of Nea Smyrni said after the funeral service.
Schools, courts and government offices were closed as Christodoulos was accorded honors typically granted to heads of state, reflecting the power of a church that represents 97 percent of Greece's native-born population.
Earlier, Ecumenical Patriarch {of Constantinople} Bartholomew I - the Istanbul {Constantinople}-based spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians - led morning prayers at Athens Cathedral in a service attended by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, President Karolos Papoulias and top Orthodox officials."The archbishop's death was a great loss for the Orthodox world," Bartholomew said".
Also this report from the B.B.C.
TELEGRAMMA DEL SANTO PADRE
HIS EMINENCE SERAPHIM
METROPOLITAN OF KARYSTIA AND SKYROS
THE LOCUM TENENS
DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE NEWS OF THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF HIS BEATITUDE CHRISTODOULOS, ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS AND ALL GREECE, I EXPRESS TO YOU, TO THE HOLY SYNOD AND ALL THE FAITHFUL MY EARNEST CONDOLENCES, ASSURING YOU OF MY SPIRITUAL CLOSENESS TO ALL THOSE WHO MOURN THE PASSING OF THIS DISTINGUISHED PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE. THE FRATERNAL WELCOME WHICH HIS BEATITUDE GAVE MY PREDECESSOR POPE JOHN PAUL II ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TO ATHENS IN MAY 2001 AND THE RETURN VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS TO ROME IN DECEMBER 2006 OPENED A NEW ERA OF CORDIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN US, LEADING TO INCREASED CONTACTS AND IMPROVED FRIENDSHIP IN THE SEARCH FOR CLOSER COMMUNION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GROWING UNITY OF EUROPE. I AND CATHOLICS AROUND THE WORLD PRAY THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREECE WILL BE SUSTAINED BY THE GRACE OF GOD IN CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THE PASTORAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE LATE ARCHBISHOP AND THAT IN COMMENDING THE NOBLE SOUL OF HIS BEATITUDE TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S LOVING MERCY YOU WILL BE COMFORTED BY THE LORD’S PROMISE TO REWARD HIS FAITHFUL SERVANTS.
PLEASE ACCEPT, YOUR EMINENCE, THIS EXPRESSION OF MY CLOSENESS IN PRAYER TO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER BISHOPS AS YOU GUIDE THE CHURCH IN THIS TIME OF TRANSITION. WITH FRATERNAL AFFECTION IN THE LORD.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Telegram from the Holy See.
Also this report from the B.B.C.
TELEGRAMMA DEL SANTO PADRE
HIS EMINENCE SERAPHIM
METROPOLITAN OF KARYSTIA AND SKYROS
THE LOCUM TENENS
DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE NEWS OF THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF HIS BEATITUDE CHRISTODOULOS, ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS AND ALL GREECE, I EXPRESS TO YOU, TO THE HOLY SYNOD AND ALL THE FAITHFUL MY EARNEST CONDOLENCES, ASSURING YOU OF MY SPIRITUAL CLOSENESS TO ALL THOSE WHO MOURN THE PASSING OF THIS DISTINGUISHED PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE. THE FRATERNAL WELCOME WHICH HIS BEATITUDE GAVE MY PREDECESSOR POPE JOHN PAUL II ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TO ATHENS IN MAY 2001 AND THE RETURN VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS TO ROME IN DECEMBER 2006 OPENED A NEW ERA OF CORDIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN US, LEADING TO INCREASED CONTACTS AND IMPROVED FRIENDSHIP IN THE SEARCH FOR CLOSER COMMUNION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GROWING UNITY OF EUROPE. I AND CATHOLICS AROUND THE WORLD PRAY THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREECE WILL BE SUSTAINED BY THE GRACE OF GOD IN CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THE PASTORAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE LATE ARCHBISHOP AND THAT IN COMMENDING THE NOBLE SOUL OF HIS BEATITUDE TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S LOVING MERCY YOU WILL BE COMFORTED BY THE LORD’S PROMISE TO REWARD HIS FAITHFUL SERVANTS.
PLEASE ACCEPT, YOUR EMINENCE, THIS EXPRESSION OF MY CLOSENESS IN PRAYER TO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER BISHOPS AS YOU GUIDE THE CHURCH IN THIS TIME OF TRANSITION. WITH FRATERNAL AFFECTION IN THE LORD.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Telegram from the Holy See.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is currently in Athens for the funeral of the late Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Christodoulos, which will take place tomorrow at the Athens Cathedral with all state honours. Patriarch Bartholomew - who is heading a delegation from the Constantinople-based Patriarchate - will take part in the funereal procession from the church to the Athens 1st Cemetery. He will be accompanied by the Archbishop of America, Dimitrios, as well as local metropolitans. The Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodore II, is also in the Greek capital to attend the funeral and take part in the funereal procession. In a related development, Pope Benedict XVI mourned the death of Greece's Orthodox leader and praised him yesterday for having «opened a new era» in relations with the Vatican that helped forge greater Christian unity. He said he hoped the archbishop's successor would continue to build on Christodoulos' «pastoral achievements.»
The Greek Community in Toronto - together with other Greeks living abroad and overseas - is in mourning for the death early Monday of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Christodoulos. Special services are being held at the city's four Greek churches for the repose of his soul. Meanwhile, the former Archbishop of America, Spyridon, has sent a telegram of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. In his message, he states his heartfelt participation in the church's deep mourning for Christodoulos and expresses the hope that the new head of the Greek Orthodox Church will be popular and able to deal with difficult conditions
"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)