| The head of Greece’s powerful Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, who mended ties with the Vatican but clashed with the Greek state, died of cancer on Monday at the age of 69. A staunch defender of the role of the church in Greece, he died at his home in Athens, only months after plans for a liver transplant in the United States were cancelled. “He was an enlightened church leader whose work brought the church closer to society, closer to modern problems and to young people,” Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said in a statement. Flags flew at half-mast on the Athens Acropolis and across the city as bells tolled. Condolences poured in as crowds of black-clad mourners gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral where his funeral will be held after a three-day wake. “It is like I have lost my father,” an elderly woman praying outside the church told Greek TV. The government announced he would receive a funeral befitting a head of state, while public services will shut down on the day. The Church said the funeral would take place on Thursday morning and a successor would be elected by the Holy Synod on February 7. |