Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens

His Beatitude Christodoulos of Athens

His Beatitude Christodoulos (Paraskevaides), Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (1939-2008) was the primate of the Church of Greece from 1998 until his death in 2008.

Christodoulos was born at Xanthi in 1939. In 1962 he graduated from the School of Law and in 1967 from the School of Theology. In 1961 he was ordained deacon, and priest in 1965. He served as a preacher and senior spiritual father at the church of Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Palaio Phalero for nine years, and, for seven years he served as a Secretary of the Holy Synod. He took part in many religious missions abroad. He is a Doctor of Theology, he has a degree in French and English, and he also speaks Italian and German. He is the author of many scientific and constructive books. He has been writing articles in religious press and in dailies.

He was elected Metropolitan of Demetrias in 1974 and Archbishop of Athens and all Greece in 1998.

"Christodoulos has often stirred controversy with politically tinged statements. He was instrumental in attempts to improve ties with the Catholic Church; in 2001, Christodoulos received in Athens Pope John Paul II—the first pope to visit Greece in nearly 1,300 years—ignoring loud protests from Orthodox zealots. He followed up last year 2006 with a historic visit to the Vatican, where he and Pope Benedict XVI signed a joint declaration calling for inter-religious dialogue and restating opposition to abortion and euthanasia. In Greece, politicians accused the archbishop of meddling in their affairs, angered by his vocal criticism of everything from homosexuality and globalization to Turkey's efforts to join the European Union and a recent government effort to tone down nationalism in school history books." ¹

He was a charismatic leader who engaged the youth of the country and who is also credited with reinvigorating the vast institution of the church in Greece during his tenure.

In June 2007 the Archbishop was diagnosed with liver and colon cancer after undergoing intestinal surgery in Athens. He then waited fifty days in Miami, Florida for a compatible liver to become available, however the transplant was halted in October 2007 after tumors were found in the archbishop's abdominal cavity. He died from the spread of cancer on January 28, 2008. A four-day period of mourning was announced by the government of Greece following his death including funeral plans befitting a head of state.

Succession box: Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens
Preceded by: ?	Metropolitan of Demetrias 1974-1998	Succeeded by: Ignatios (Georgakopoulos)
Preceded by: Seraphim (Tikas)	Archbishop of Athens 1998-2008	Succeeded by: —

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Source

• Official biography

Reference

• 1 Greek Church Leader's Transplant Stopped by Rasha Madkour, Associated Press. October 8, 2007.

External links

• Wikipedia:Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens
• Listing at the Orthodox Research Institute

• Archibishop Christodoulos: Greece Deeply Moved. Evdomada Einai … Kai Kylaei. January 28, 2008.
• BBC News. Greek Orthodox church head dies. January 28, 2008.
• CNN.com Archbishop of Greek Orthodox Church dies. January 28, 2008.

Speeches

• "Islam: the extent of the problematics." 12 May 2007. Transl. Dr Nikolaos C. Petropoulos.
• "The Course of the EU and the Attitude of the Church." 27 February 2006. Transl. Dr Nikolaos C. Petropoulos.
• "The Apostle Paul between Athens and Jerusalem." 10 June 2004.
• "Futurum." 1 June 2003.
• "Orthodox Theology and Ecumenical dialogue." 1 June 2003.
• "Address of H.B. Christodoulos, the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, to the Members of the Presidium of the Conference of European Churches." 3 March 2003.
• "The Presence of the Church on the Horizon of Europe." 1 January 2003.
• "On the Events of September 11, 2001." 11 September 2001.
• "TRANSPLANTS AND MAN: The view of the Church." 8 November 1999. Transl. Dr Nikolaos C. Petropoulos.
• "On Globalization." 1 August 1999.
• "In honor and memory of General George Marshall." 1 January 1999.
• "The Word and Role of Orthodoxy in the European Union." 1 January 1999.
• "The Society of People in the Time of Post-Neoterism, of Holisticity and of Globalizaton." 1 January 1999.
• "Jesus Christ in the Theology of Saint Gregory of Nyssa." 1 September 1998.

Books

• Christodoulos Paraskevaides. Converted Hellenism: The transition from Αntiquity to Christianity. Media Ecclesiastica, Athens, 2005.
• Christodoulos Paraskevaides. The European Psyche. Solidarity, Athens 2005. (Excerpts).