Chrysostomos I | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus | |
 Official portrait | |
| Church | Church of Cyprus |
| Diocese | Cyprus |
| Installed | 13 November 1977 |
| Term ended | 17 May 2006 |
| Predecessor | Makarios III |
| Successor | Chysostomos II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christoforos Aristodimou (1927-09-27)27 September 1927 |
| Died | 22 December 2007(2007-12-22) (aged 80) Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Buried | Saint Spyridon Cemetery, Nicosia |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Residence | Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Occupation | Archbishop |
| Profession | Theologian |
| Alma mater | University of Athens |
Chrysostomos I, bornChristoforos Aristodimou (Greek:Χριστόφορος Αριστοδήμου; 27 September 1927 – 22 December 2007), was the Archbishop ofCyprus from 1977 to 2006.
He was born in the village ofStatos inPaphos,British Cyprus. By the scholarship ofKykkos Monastery, where he served as a monk, he finished thePancyprian Gymnasium (High School) in 1950 and he studiedtheology andliterature in theUniversity of Athens. He then returned to Kykkos Monastery and was ordained deacon in February 1951. In October 1961, he was ordained priest and returned to the Pancyprian Gymnasium where he taught theology for 5 years.
In 1968, he was elected bishop ofConstantia before becoming Bishop ofPaphos in July 1973. On 12 November 1977, he was electedArchbishop of Cyprus in succession to the President and Archbishop of Cyprus,Makarios III, who had died the same year.[1] Chrysostomos was known for his vigorous opposition to thedecriminalization of homosexuality in Cyprus, stating "The Church condemns homosexuality as a sinful and repulsive act because it is contrary to the spirit of Scripture and the law of nature."[2]
In April 2000, he suffered a severehead injury when he fell from the staircase of the Archiepiscopal Palace and never recovered.[3] In 2004, it became known that he suffered fromAlzheimer's disease[4] and he fell into acoma the following year.
He remained Head of theChurch of Cyprus due to lack of provision incanon law for cases of incapacity. In early 2006, the Cypriot bishops asked theEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople to convoke a Panorthodox Synod to decide what was to be done since his condition was irreversible and he was still in acoma.
A Pan-Orthodox Synod was convoked byEcumenicalPatriarchBartholomew I ofConstantinople inChambésy (Switzerland) in May 2006 and it was decided that Chrysostomos was to be removed from office due to serious health problems, while retaining his honorific titles. Bishop ofPaphos Chrysostomos was elected aslocum tenens and Archiepiscopal elections were proclaimed for 24 September 2006.Chrysostomos II became the new Archbishop of Cyprus.
Chrysostomos I died on 22 December 2007.[5]
| Religious titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Archbishop of Cyprus 1977–2006 | Succeeded by |
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