Primate of Church of Cyprus Enters Repose at his Official Residence

On 7 November 2022,His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus departed this life at 6:40 am local time from his official residence at the Archbshopric headquarters,having struggled with cancer since 2018.He had received treatment in Florida at least twice.The Archbishopric's flags were accordingly lowered to half mast.He was 81.Born in Paphos,Cyprus as Herodotos Demetriou,he attended primary school there until,at the age of 12,he entered the novitiate at Saint Neophytos Holy Monastery in Paphos,where he graduated from high school in 1963.He was ordained to the diaconate the same year.In 1968,he began theological studies at the University of Athens,graduating in 1972 and being elected igoumenos (abbot) of St.Neophytos Monastery the same year.In 1978,he was elected Bishop of Paphos.* When the primate of All Cyprus,Archbishop Chrysostomos I,developed dementia and had to resign,the future Chrysostomos II served as locum tenens until he himself was elected to the primatial see on 5 November 2006.He was enthroned on 12 November at St.Nicholas Cathedral in Nicosia. During his reign,Chrysostomos II reinstated several ancient bishoprics,thus ensuring that the Holy Synod of Cyprus would have enough hierarchs to elect a new primate on its own.He also increased the participation of the laity in the election of a new primate.His passing was lamented by the World Council of Churches,which recalled his readiness to host ecumenical dialogues in Cyprus and receive the participants. In 2020,Archbishop Chrysostomos recognised the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,and this recognition was ratified by a majority vote of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus.He felt that,as a matter of loyalty to the Ecumenical Patriarchate,this was a necessity. In 2022,he condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as being senseless and unchristian.His funeral will take place on Saturday 12 November at 12 pm local time at the Cathedral Church of Apostle Barnabas,with interment to follow in the crypt.His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew held a trisagion memorial service for the Archbishop at the Phanar in Istanbul and plans to attend the funeral.The Holy Synod of Cyprus will meet on the following Monday to begin the election process.* President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus expressed sorrow for the Archbishop's passing.May his memory be eternal.*