Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus Enters Eternal Rest

OCP News Service – 07/11/2022

Nicosia – Cyprus: His Beatitude Chrysostomos II – Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus has entered eternal rest on the 07th November 2022 at 06:40 am.  Archbishop Chrysostomos II was fighting cancer for a long time.

According to the official statement: “The Archbishop fell peacefully asleep after facing the test of his illness with courage, patience, and Christian determination”.

“The people of Cyprus mourn the loss of Archbishop Chrysostomos II, President Nicos Anastasiades said in a tweet. “His reform work for Orthodoxy, the Church, and his action for the welfare of our people is enormous. “On behalf of the State and myself, I personally express my sincere condolences to the Holy Clergy, our people, and the family of The Archbishop.”

Metropolitan of Paphos Georgios takes over as guardian of the throne until the election and enthronement of a new Archbishop.

His Beatitude Chrysostomos II was enthroned as archbishop on 1 October 2006, after the retirement of his predecessor Chrysostomos I of Cyprus. 

Brief Bio

Born Herodotos Demetriou on April 10, 1941 in Tala, Paphos he lost his father at the age of ten.

After finishing primary school, two years later, he became a novice at the Ayios Neophytos Monastery in Paphos from where he continued his education, graduating high school in 1963.

On November 3 that year, he was ordained by Bishop Georgios of Trimithounda and for the next five years, he was a deacon at the monastery and working there, where he picked up a flair for business dealings.

In 1968, he began tertiary studies in theology at the University of Athens, graduating in 1972. On October 19,1972, he was elected abbot at Ayios Neophytos.

In February 1978, Chrysostomos was elected Bishop of Paphos, which threw him into the public eye.

Following the retirement of Archbishop Chrysostomos I in 2006 due to Alzheimer’s, Chrysostomos was named locum tenens until his election as Archbishop on November 5, 2006. He was enthroned a week later on November 12 at St Nicholas Cathedral in Nicosia.

Source:
OCP News Service