Archbishop Christodoulos, 69; led Greek Orthodox Church
ATHENS — Archbishop Christodoulos, the head of Greece's Orthodox Church, who welcomed rapprochement with the Vatican and revitalized his congregation but was criticized for meddling in politics and government, died early Monday. He was 69.
A charismatic nationalist and his country's supreme religious authority for the last decade, Christodoulos died at his home in Athens after a seven-month battle with cancer, church officials said.
With his flowing black robe, thick graying beard and open manner, Christodoulos attracted thousands of young Greeks back to the church. And he joined historic talks with two popes in an effort to ease a 10-century rift with the Roman Catholic Church.
But he angered social liberals by mixing church with state, and he clashed bitterly with the government over Greece's participation in the secular European Union. He called Muslim Turks "barbarians," and said homosexuals were "handicapped."
Although Greek governments at times found it necessary to distance themselves from some of the archbishop's statements, officials were quick Monday to lament his passing. Four days of mourning were declared, soccer matches canceled and flags lowered to half-staff at the ancient Acropolis and across the country. Messages of condolence arrived from many quarters, including from President Bush and senior Vatican officials.
Christodoulos' body, adorned with a golden crown and clasping a staff, was lying in state at Athens' lavish Mitropoli Cathedral, and tearful mourners filed past throughout the day. The state funeral, planned as a ceremony befitting royalty, is to be held at the cathedral Thursday, officials said.
"He was an enlightened cleric who, through his pastoral work, brought the church closer to society, closer to modern problems, and closer to young people and their concerns," said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, a conservative.
George Papandreou, president of the main opposition Socialist Party, said Christodoulos was "one of the most important faces of the church."
"He was a charismatic man who was a pleasure to talk with," Papandreou said, "even when you disagreed with him."
Christodoulos led Greece's estimated 10 million Orthodox, about 98% of the country's native-born population. There are 250 million Orthodox worldwide who belong to national Orthodox churches, such as Greek, Russian and Serbian Orthodox. They recognize as their spiritual leader Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul.
