This is to be a fact-finding visit which will afford His Grace the opportunity to meet with local Metropolitans and Civil Authorities of the devastated areas and to see first hand what assistance is needed.  Accompanying the Bishop are Constantine Triantafilou, Executive Director of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Fr. Angelo Pappas from Portsmouth, NH, a trained First Responder.  Both individuals visited Greece at the onset of the fires and have extensive knowledge of the devastation.

Upon his return to the United States, Bishop Andonios will report to His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and the other members of the Special Committee of the Greek Fire Relief Fund, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, February 6, 2008.  Since its last meeting, the Committee has received a number of proposals regarding relief projects.  This fact-finding mission by His Grace will enable the Committee to have greater insight into the scope of these proposals as well as the needs of those people affected by the devastation.   To date, the Fund has collected $3,903,441. 

Department of Philanthropy
Tel.: 212.774-0283

This article has been adapted from the Associated Press Release.

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press Writer

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The leader of Greece's powerful Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, who eased centuries of tension with the Vatican but was viewed as reactionary by his liberal critics, died Monday. He was 69.

Christodoulos, who headed the church for a decade, was first hospitalized in Athens in June before being diagnosed with cancer of the liver and large intestine.

He spent 10 weeks in a hospital in Miami but an October liver transplant operation was canceled when doctors discovered the cancer had spread. He refused hospital treatment in the final weeks of his life. He died at his home in the Athens suburb of Psyhico, church officials said.

The Interior Ministry announced four days of national mourning and said Christodoulos would be buried on Thursday with full state honors. Across the country flags flew at half-staff, including atop the ancient Acropolis and on the parliament building.

The archbishop's flag-draped coffin was taken to the cathedral in Athens, where his body will lie in state until his funeral. Hundreds of people began gathering outside to pay their respects.

Christodoulos was elected church leader in 1998 and is credited with reinvigorating the vast institution that represents 97 percent of Greece's native born population.

He was one of several leaders of national Orthodox churches across the world. Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is the spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians.

Christodoulos helped create church Web sites and radio stations, and frequently issued detailed checklists on how black-clad Orthodox priests should conduct themselves in public.

In 2001, Christodoulos received the late John Paul II - the first pope to visit Greece in nearly 1,300 years. They held the landmark meeting in Athens despite vigorous protests from Orthodox zealots.

The archbishop followed up in 2006 with an historic visit to the Vatican, where he and Pope Benedict XVI signed a joint declaration calling for inter-religious dialogue and stating opposition to abortion and euthanasia.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis paid tribute to the bravery the archbishop showed during his sickness in a statement released Monday. Describing him as an "enlightened" cleric, Karamanlis praised Christodoulos as a "religious leader who reinforced the role of Orthodoxy in the world," and for bringing the church closer to the public.

President Karolos Papoulias expressed his sadness at news of the archbishop's death and lauded him for his "rich and multifaceted contribution" in fighting for the church.

The Patriarchate in Istanbul also issued a statement expressing its sadness at the death.

Christodoulos was born Christos Paraskevaidis in 1939 in the northeastern Greek city of Xanthi, one of two sons of a wholesale food importer and devoutly religious mother.

Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros contributed to this report.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

New York, NY – With great sorrow and deep heartfelt emotion the entire flock of the Holy Archdiocese of America learned of the passing of the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos of blessed memory.

The late Archbishop Christodoulos reposed in the peace of God at 5:15 a.m. (Greek time), today, Monday, January 28, 2008, at his residence, after battling with a disease that lasted many months and which required lengthy medical treatments administered to him at home, which is where he desired to be, despite the swift deterioration of his health.

His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America, as soon as he was informed of the passing of the late Archbishop Christodoulos, issued this statement:

"The passing of the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos of blessed memory, saddens us deeply, for with his departure from this world the Church has lost an exceptional and highly esteemed Hierarch, as well as a brilliant champion of Orthodoxy and of the universal values of the Hellenic cultural tradition. I had the special honor to know him from the time he attended high school, and afterwards, to appreciate his dynamism, his kindness, his intellect and his great offering to the Church in important areas such as the divine worship, pastoral and social care, as well as inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations. I pray fervently to the Lord for the repose of the soul of the distinguished and ever-memorable brother and concelebrant, the late Archbishop Christodoulos, in the tabernacles of the saints and of the righteous." 

The illness of the late Archbishop was diagnosed on June 9, 2007, when he was admitted to the “Aretaio” Hospital of Athens. On August 18, 2007, the Archbishop traveled to Miami, Florida, with the prospect to receive a liver transplant, which in the end was not possible, and for which reason he returned to Greece on October 26. 

Immediately after the announcement of the passing of the late Archbishop Christodoulos, a four day mourning period was declared. The funeral service will take place in the Cathedral of Athens on Thursday, January 31, 2008.

Archbishop Demetrios of America will depart for Athens tomorrow, Tuesday January 29th, in order to accompany His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the funeral services of the late Archbishop Christodoulos.

Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos
Tel.: 212.774-0244

THE WHITE HOUSE
 
Office of the Press Secretary
 
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
 
Laura and I offer our condolences to the people of Greece at this time of mourning for the death of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.  The late Archbishop was well known as an articulate voice of the Orthodox faith, for his engagement in inter-religious dialogue, and for his promotion of social programs to help the vulnerable.  Our prayers are with the people of Greece and all those who followed his spiritual guidance.

“On behalf of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, I convey to the blessed Orthodox people and to the Government of the Hellenic Republic, the condolences of their fellow Orthodox Christians throughout the Americas, as we mourn the passing of this great Churchman and Hierarch.”

“The passing of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece today Monday, January 28, 2008 in the early morning hours constitutes the consummation of his valiant struggle with illness, and an affirmation of his great faith in God. The late Archbishop faced the long and agonizing months of his sickness with courage, determination and a love for his flock that were truly remarkable.”

“Always seeking to continue to serve his faithful, Archbishop Christodoulos did not spare himself any sacrifice, even at the time of his difficult medical treatments, in order to continue his mission of love and service to the people of Greece. For those who regret that he died too soon, let them thank God that he was with them the way that he was. The legacy of Archbishop Christodoulos will surely exceed the years of his life. His dedicated and dynamic service to Christ and His Church will be permanently remembered as we pray for his eternal repose in the mansions of the saints a righteous of God.”

Note: The Church of Greece, which ranks seventh in the order of commemoration among the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, was established by the missionary activities of the Holy Apostle Paul. In the 19th century, following the liberation of the Greek lands and the establishment of an indigenous State, the Church of Greece was granted the status of Autocephalous by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church of Greece is the official State Church of the Hellenic Republic.

Protocol 09/08

January 30, 2008
The Feast of the Three Hierarchs

"Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge."
II Peter 1:5

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In our commemoration of the Feast of the Three Hierarchs we are called by our Holy Orthodox Church to contemplate the lives of three great Saints and Teachers who served God faithfully and offered the totality of their lives in His service.  Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian, and Saint John Chrysostom were blessed with tremendous intellectual and spiritual gifts.  They carried the mantle of episcopal service with holiness, love, and sacrifice; and they were shining examples of people who took very seriously the concepts in the above referenced passage of the second Epistle of Saint Peter, in that throughout their lives they sought to add virtue to their faith, and to complement this virtue with the knowledge of God.
 
Of course, for any human being to acquire the knowledge of God in and of itself is not an easy discipline.  The Three Hierarchs knew this, and indeed they wrote extensively about the phenomenon of the sheer incomprehensibility of God by human beings.  At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, we also know from many of their writings that there does exist a possibility for acquiring a genuine degree of knowledge of God, but this presupposes purity of heart in the human being.  In the magnificent Beatitudes of the Gospel, we see in the words of the Lord Himself the above mentioned idea, formulated in a phrase with a deep meaning, impressive elegance, and stunning simplicity: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).

It is precisely this purity of heart that is the epitome of virtue.  This too was well known by the Three Hierarchs, who expanded upon many of the ideas of early Greek philosophers regarding the idea of virtue (arete).  In ancient Greek philosophy for example, virtue rested in the fulfillment of one’s function to behave morally and rationally.  Achieving this function would result in genuine happiness.  The Three Hierarchs took this understanding a step further, for they knew that while virtue and knowledge were related to the well-being of the person, they also knew that the ultimate fulfillment of the human being was salvation, the realization of an everlasting peace and joy beyond the confines of this world, the "entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 1:11).  In this sense we see the interrelationship of faith, virtue, and knowledge to each other as thoroughly integrated concepts fundamental to eternal life with God.  

It is for these reasons enumerated above that this day of our celebration of the Feast of the Three Hierarchs tidily coincides with our annual celebration of Greek Letters, a day when we acknowledge the fundamental importance of education in our lives as Greek Orthodox Christians, the vital role of education for our children, and the critical value of growing in the knowledge of God as the ultimate goal of life for us as adults.  May this January 30, 2008, the Feast of the Three Hierarchs and the Day of Greek Letters, be for us all a day of resolve to deepen our faith with virtue, to add to it knowledge, and, through our worship of God and our sincere commitment, to know the One who has "given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness and who has called us by glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3).

With paternal love in Christ,

+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America