Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-12-23

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] FORMER ARCHBISHOP - HONORS

[01] FORMER ARCHBISHOP - HONORS

The Holy Synod declared 30 days of mourning, during which flags will fly at half mast on all Church buildings.

His body will lie in state at Ayios Ioannis Cathedral Church in Nicosia from 1400 local time (1100 GMT) until midday tomorrow and his funeral will then follow at 1300 local time at the Church of Panayia Evangelistria in Palouriotissa, where Archbishop Chrysostomos II will officiate accompanied by other Members of the Cyprus Orthodox Church Holy Synod. His body will be buried at the Saint Spyridon Cemetery where all the previous Archbishops are buried.

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos expressed his deepest sorrow, noting the former Archbishop`s contribution to the Church and to the struggle of the Cypriot people for justice.

``The late Archbishop has offered a lot and precious services to the Cyprus Church and to the struggle of the Cypriot Hellenism for national and physical survival and justification,`` President Papadopoulos said.

Archbishop Chrysostomos II expressed profound grief over Chrysostomos` I death, saying that the late Archbishop has 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,`` Chrysostomos II added.

House Chairman Demetris Christofias phoned to Archbishop Chrysostomos II to express his personal and the House`s deepest condolences, adding the late Archbishop, ``in difficult times for our country, undertook the mission to guide the Cyprus Church after the death of Archbishop Makarios III and, by his spiritual work, put his sign under the Church`s performance.``

The Cypriot Minister of Education and Culture, Akis Kleanthous, expressed his deepest sorrow and condolences.

The 80-year-old had been ill and incapacitated for several years, unable to perform his duties as head of the Church.

Last year, a broad meeting of senior clergymen, chaired by the head of the Greek Orthodox Church Patriarch Bartholomew, convened in Switzerland and decided to honourably vacate the position of Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus.

He died at 1206 in his private apartments at the Archbishopric in Nicosia. His body was then taken to Nicosia General Hospital, where his death was confirmed.

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