JOCKEYING BEGINS TO REPLACE AILING GREEK ARCHBISHOP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002095

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: JOCKEYING BEGINS TO REPLACE AILING GREEK ARCHBISHOP

REF: 1998 ATHENS 2673

Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. As the ailing Archbishop of Athens and All
Greece Christodoulos prepares to return to Greece from the
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, potential successors have
begun to position themselves for what is seen as his likely
death within the next six months. The position of Archbishop
carries enormous ability to influence public debate in
Greece. The process of selecting a successor will likely
impact political discussion of policy issues, most notably
the Macedonian name issue.


2. (U) In June, Christodoulos was diagnosed with liver and
colon cancer and spent 40 days in an Athens hospital. In
August, he left Greece en route to the University of
Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, for treatment by an
internationally acclaimed Greek-American physician.
Christodoulos waited approximately 50 days to locate a new
liver but once the surgery began, doctors had to cancel the
planned transplant after discovering that cancer had spread
to his abdomen. During his stays in both Athens and the U.S.,
the Greek media has closely followed the medical travails of
the man who has been their prelate for nearly ten years.

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CHRISTODOULOS THE TRADITIONALIST
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3. (SBU) Christodoulos was elected Archbishop on April 28,
1998, at the age of 59. The highly educated, multi-lingual
lawyer and theologian was perceived as being a
forward-thinking, social activist (Reftel A). His tenure,
however, will likely be remembered more for his largely
traditional stands on a host of social and political issues.
Christodoulos, who still consistently ranks as the first or
second most popular leader in Greece, surpassing virtually
all politicians, occasionally raised the ire of politicians
for what they saw as his unwelcome interference in matters of
state.


4. (SBU) On domestic issues, Christodoulos led the
(ultimately unsucessful) effort by the Orthodox Church to
maintain indication of a person's religion on their national
identity cards. He also led the failed opposition to a law
permitting conscientious objectors to do alternative service,
stating that not performing military service was to show
disrespect for the moral principles of the nation.
Christodoulos steadfastly opposed calls for a separation of
church and state and he successfully lead the opposition to a
new mosque and Islamic cultural center in Painia, an area of
the city near the international airport. He claimed that the
image of a mosque to new arrivals in Greece would cause
confusion. A separate site was ultimately chosen for the
mosque, which remains to be built.


5. (SBU) Christodoulos frequently commented on other issues
of national debate. Christodoulos voiced opposition to
recognizing Macedonia, calling the matter "a permanent cause
for stirring up passions, since concealed behind them one
suspects territorial demands when conditions permit."
Christodoulos was also a firm believer that the Orthodox
Church played a central role in the development and
preservation of Hellenic heritage throughout the Ottoman
occupation. He would tell school children to ignore their
text books where the books questioned this principle and he
brought heavy pressure to bear upon the government (leading
to the eventual recall of a history text book). He also told
citizens to resist the "dechristianization" of Europe through
the European Union. But it was Christodoulos who will also
be remembered (though vilified by some) for inviting Pope
John Paul II to visit Greece, the first pontiff to do so in
nearly 1300 years.

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WILL CHRISTODOULOS RESIGN?
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6. (U) A team of reporters with television cameras camped out
night and day in front of the Archbishop's Athens hospital
prior to his departure for the U.S. Since then, his state of
health has been played out in detail on evening talk shows
and in daily news reports. Of late, discussions have started
to focus on who might succeed Christodoulos upon his death or
resignation. For his part, Christodoulos said that he has no
intention of resigning and that while he realizes that he is
not irreplaceable, it is still too early to discuss a

ATHENS 00002095 002 OF 002


successor.

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WHO MIGHT REPLACE HIM?
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7. (U) Most analysts have identified a small handful of
current Church leaders as candidates to replace
Christodoulos. Chief among them are Metropolitan
Chrysostomos of Zakynthos (a longtime rival of Christodoulos
and the first to publicly state that since Christodoulos'
condition was untreatable, it was appropriate to begin the
succession discussion); Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes (a
close contender in the 1998 selection process who was
derailed due to charges of involvement in a financial
scandal); Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki (a vocal
opponent of Greece compromising in any way on the
Macedonia-name issue); and the soft-spoken Metropolitan
Efstathios of Sparta (well known for his charitable work).
Some of the dark horse candidates include Bishop Nikolaos of
Mesogaia, an expert in astrophysics and biomedical technology
and a former NASA consultant; Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros
(who some claim is supported by those close to Christodoulos
solely in an effort to maintain their positions of power);
and finally, Metropolitan Ignatios of Dimirias, the former
diocese of Christodoulos near Volos who is well known for his
Sunday TV talk show on state TV.


8. (C) COMMENT: The selection of a new Archbishop of Athens
and all Greece can have important consequences for domestic
discussion of a range of issues, including the Macedonia name
issue. As potential successors begin positioning themselves
as Christodoulos' successor, they will comment on New
Democracy government actions (and international affairs) in
order to bolster their leadership credentials. On key issues
like Macedonia that will leave the weak ND government even
less room for flexibility.
COUNTRYMAN