Nicosia: Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the vocal head of the Greek Orthodox Christian Church in Cyprus, died on Monday. His entry into the country's complex politics and the hazy world of finance angered both supporters and detractors.

After four years of liver cancer treatment, Chrysostomos spent his final days at the church's headquarters in the city. According to a team of doctors' statement, at 6:40 a.m., the archbishop "passed away peacefully after facing the test of his illness with courage, fortitude and Christian endurance." monday.

The bulletin said that everyone who was close to him during the difficult times of his illness saw his humility, kindness and deep faith as well as his concern for his flock. The statement continued, stating that the Archbishop's legacy was distinguished by his "vision, courage, respect for and restoration of the Church's historical tradition, as well as innovative changes that were always aimed at the unity of the Church."

Also Read: Numerous people fill Bahrain's national stadium for the pope's main Mass

Other Orthodox Church leaders will be invited to the funeral, which will be planned by the Holy Synod, the highest decision-making body of the Church. According to the official website of the Patriarchate, Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the world's Orthodox Christian faithful, indicated his desire to attend the funeral of Chrysostomos.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop received many tributes. Chrysostomos was praised by Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades for his "massive body of reforms for the good of Orthodoxy and the Church as well as our people". Even the archbishop's most ardent opponents admitted in a statement to the communist-inspired AKEL party that he "clearly left his mark on the affairs of the church and society, which today go down to the verdict of history."

Chrysostomos was a tall, impressive man with a white beard, as is customary for Orthodox clergy. He rarely held back when it came to expressing his opinion on matters ranging from politics to the finances of the country, which angered some politicians and other opponents who punished him for not following his religious obligations.

Chrysostomos said he would have preferred that the cash-strapped country would leave the euro as its currency rather than accept a bailout deal, before the island nation's multi-billion-euro financial rescue by international creditors in March 2013. which he claimed would set his economy decades behind. According to him, exiting the euro would at least protect the honor of Cyprus.

A furious Chrysostomos declared, "This is not the Europe we believed in when we joined," following the signing of the agreement, which requires substantial depositors at the country's two largest banks to lose some of their savings. Was.

The Archbishop did not shy away from addressing specific persons in his remarks. He once advised former president Dimitris Christophius with communist roots to reflect on his actions after leaving a "prosperous, happy nation and leaving it with few people to starve".

Also Read: November will be observed as Hindu Heritage Month in Canada

The cleric called bankers and politicians "thieves" who fled, while "the poor people paid Piper" for their disastrous choices. He also cautioned that he would not be afraid to urge the public to take action to stop "saying" technical experts in the country.

Some of his detractors claimed that his comments about the financial industry showed that he was acting more like a businessman and banker than a spiritual leader.

Chrysostomos has previously openly acknowledged the political support of Russian financiers and the Kremlin, but in relations with the Russian Orthodox Church when he followed the ecumenical patriarch's decision to recognize the independence of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2020 It hurt.

His efforts in conflict zones of the region included a trip to war-torn Syria in 2016 to support conservative citizens of that nation. He suggested scientists for vaccination and other restrictions, for their full support to stop the coronavirus pandemic.

His accession to the throne in 2006, when his name and predecessor could not perform his duties due to ill health, demonstrated his political understanding.

A long-standing practice in Cyprus is the election of church leaders by a college of clerics and common voters. Chrysostomos, who was not the favorite of the crowd and was behind the two frontrunners in the general vote, outclassed his rivals by securing the support of a college majority to win.

Even before assuming leadership, Chrysostomos was never secretive about his right-wing political views and was not averse to using his influence to persuade the Holy Synod to follow his wishes.

Chrysostomos had expressed open mistrust of Turkey's plans for Cyprus. He claimed in an interview from 2018 that he never thought a peace agreement to bring the ethnically divided island nation back together was feasible because Turkey wanted to create a Turkish state there.

Cyprus was divided in 1974when Turkey invaded following a coup by pro-Greek unionists. In the north of the Mediterranean island, Turkish Cypriots proclaimed an independent state that was only recognised by Turkey, which has 35,000 troops stationed there.

In 2004, Chrysostomos pushed for the church to speak out against what he saw as an unfair U.N. peace plan that the vast majority of Greek Cypriots later rejected in a referendum.

During Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 visit to the island, Chrysostomos addressed the pontiff and accused Turkey of attempting to carry out "its obscure plans," which include annexing the territory currently under military occupation and then conquering the entirety of Cyprus.

Also Read: Here is why it is considered inauspicious to offer water to Tulsi Plant on Ekadashi and Sundays

In addition, Chrysostomos claimed that Turks "ruthlessly looted" Christian artworks in an effort to eradicate Greek and Christian culture from northern Cyprus. The archbishop pleaded with former Pope Benedict and Pope Francis to ensure the preservation of the revered Christian structures during the latter's visit to Cyprus in 2021.

Despite his political views, the archbishop collaborated closely with other Christian leaders and the Muslim mufti, the spiritual leader of the Turkish Cypriots, to rebuild sacred spaces in order to convey the idea that religion is an anchor for peace rather than a barrier.

The church has had a significant presence in Cyprus since the Middle Ages, when the Ottoman rulers of the island acknowledged it as the only representative institution of the Greek Orthodox Christian populace. This persisted all the way up until 1960, when Cyprus became free of British colonial rule after electing Makarios as the nation's first president.

Chrysostomos, who was born on April 10, 1941, found his calling in religion at a young age when, after completing primary school, he enlisted as a lay brother in Cyprus' renowned Saint Neophytos monastery. He steadily advanced in the church until 1978, when he was appointed bishop of Paphos, the prefecture where he was born.

Chrysostomos strengthened the church's finances as archbishop and implemented a number of reforms, including regaining the church's autonomy in making decisions by strengthening the Holy Synod through the ordination of new bishops and the creation of a new constitution.

Chrysostomos was a staunch advocate for improved ties between the Orthodox and Catholic churches and established a church office at the European Union's headquarters in Brussels.

"I want to work hard, not just for the sake of it. Chrysostomos stated to state broadcaster CyBC in 2022, "I came and I'll eventually be gone, so I want to leave something behind for this country, that's what matters.