Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos, head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Athens & All Greece passed away on the 29th of January at the age of 69. MECC General Secretary sent the following message of condolences:
THE HOLY SYNOD CHURCH OF GREECE And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband? And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Rev.21:1-4)
It is with great sorrow and grief that I learned of the death of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens. The Archbishop passing is a great loss for Greece, for the Orthodox community and for humanity as a whole. During his long and intense life of service, both as a spiritual leader, the Archbishop demonstrated a unique and inspiring moral authority to the world.
I had the enormous privilege of knowing this great figure. As a Christian, I have been profoundly moved and touched by his faith, by his love for all, and by his deep capacity for forgiveness. His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos wielded enormous influence during his tenure as head of the country's dominant religious group, advocates for the dialogue of love between the Church of Greece and the Church of Rome, and brought new vigor to the Orthodox faith in Greece. His disappearance leaves a void in the hearts of all those, believers and non believers, who have been inspired by his example of courage and humanity. In the name of the Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches, its Executive Committee members, and me personally, we offer our heartfelt condolences to the Church of Greece and others around the world that have been touched and inspired by his life. We will remember him as a man of great courage and humility, as well as leader of the ecumenical movement an d servant of peace and justice. We pray God, to receive him into his everlasting kingdom.
In Christ, Guirguis Ibrahim Saleh General Secretary The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/