Statement on the Death of Patriarch Diodoros I

Contact: Timotheus, Administrator
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
Jerusalem
Tel: (972-2) 628-2048

JERUSALEM, Dec. 20, 2000 — Diodoros I of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, died today from complications due to diabetes, the Patriarchate announced. He was 77.

Funeral services for the Patriarch were shededuled to take place on Friday, 22 of December, in the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, inside the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

A funeral procession was planned to Virei Galilei in the Mount of Olives where the Patriarch will be buried.

All the Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem were invited to take part, as were many others coming from all over the world, including the Patriarch of Moscow, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and Archbishop of Athens.

Archbishop Metropolitan Cornelius was elected by the Fraternity of the Holy Sepulcher which composed of all the bishops of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to be the "Locum Tenens." He will serve for the next 40 days and arrange for the election of a new Patriarch.

Patriarch Diodoros had been suffering from liver problems for some time.

He was born on the Greek island of Chios in 1923, he traveled to Palestine in 1938 as a layman, became a monk in 1944, was ordained three years later, and was named patriarch of Jerusalem in 1981.

Earlier this year, Diodoros met with Pope John Paul II during the Pontiff's visit to the Holy Land.

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December 21, 2000

Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem passes away at the age of 77;

HB Teoctist expressed his "pain" for the loss of "dear friend"

Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem has passed away to the eternal rest, at the age of 77, in the night of December 19 to 20, following a heart failure.

Patriarch Diodoros died in an Israeli hospital, where he had been admited for treatment on December 8.

His Beatitude was born was born on the Greek island of Chios in 1923. He traveled to Palestine in 1938 and completed his education in 1943, then got a duty in the mail room of the patriarchate in Jerusalem. He became a monk in 1944 and was renamed Diodoros Kalrivalis. Three years later he became a priest, then an archbishop of Hierapolis in 1962, and was named Patriarch of Jerusalem on February 16, 1981.

In a message sent to the Orthodox clergy and faitfful in Jerusalem, Patriarch Teoctist expresses his pain for the loss, saying that Patriarch Diodoros" will stay forever in the memory of all who knew him, as a special friend, especially since he has visited on several ocasions Romania and the Romanian Orthodox Church."

"Each time we've met, we were deeply moved by his love for us, which we used to find expressed so visible on His Beatitude's face. Right these days we were supposed to met together with His Beatitude in Constantinople, all the heads of Orthodox Churches, but it seems that it was God's will that HB be going to the heavenly Jerusalem. Certainly, though, our worthful-to-be-mentioned brother of archiery will be with us in spirit and truth, at the meeting scheduled to take place in the City of Constantin the Great," HB Teoctist goes on in his message.

"The passing away to the eternal life of His Beatitude means losing a dear friend in this world, this saddening us; we are conforted, though, by the holy light of Bethlehem, brought to the world by Baby Jesus," whom we are faiting for in a few days," the letter of Patriarch Teoctis concludes.

The funerals are scheduled for December 22. The Romanian Patriarchate will be represented by HVH Teofan, Metropolit of Oltenia.

SOURCE: Patriarchate of Romania