DEATH OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS AND ALL GREECE

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC ALSO FOR MARIA GERMANO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KREL PHUM KIRF GR
SUBJECT: DEATH OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS AND ALL GREECE
AND THE SUCCESSION PROCESS


SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece,
Christodoulos, passed away at 0515 local time on Monday,
January 28. His funeral is expected to take place on
Thursday, January 31 -- or possibly Friday, February 1. The
Archbishop played a social and political role, and his
successor is expected to do likewise. His death sets in
motion a centuries-old process of burial and selection of his
successor. Following the funeral, the ruling body of the
Greek Orthodox Church, the Permanent Holy Synod, will convene
to select the next Archbishop in accord with both Greek
Orthodox canon law and the Hellenic Republic's constitutional
law. We do not anticipate that any of his potential
successors will lead the Church in different directions on
key issues. End summary.

CHRISTODOULOS: A CONSERVATIVE MODERNIZER
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2. (U) The Most Blessed Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens
and All Greece died at his home this morning at 0515 local
time from complications of cancer after nearly ten years as
the senior prelate of the Orthodox Church of Greece. He was

69. At his election in April 1998, when he was 59 years of
age, Christodoulos was the youngest man ever chosen to serve
as the senior Archbishop of Greece. Hailed as an innovator,
Christodoulos quickly set about modernizing the Church and
making his voice heard on a host of social and political
issues -- in sharp contrast to his apolitical predecessor
Seraphim. Christodoulos vehemently opposed the NATO campaign
to liberate Kosovo; he opposed (unsuccessfully) efforts to
remove religion from state identity cards and (successfully)
opposed the placement of a new mosque for Athens near the
international airport where he said visitors to Greece might
be confused as to whether Greece was an Islamic or a
Christian country. Christodoulos also created the first
Greek Orthodox Church Committee on Bioethics and launched new
programs to treat a host of social ills including treatment
for drug-addicts, support for single-mothers, abused women
and immigrants, and care for victims of trafficking. He
established a chain of nurseries and infant schools as well
as an NGO, Solidarity, which permitted the Greek Orthodox
Church to intervene in humanitarian matters in the Middle
East, Africa, Asia and in Eastern Europe. He also sought
improved relations with the Roman Catholic Church, hosting
Pope John Paul II for an historic visit to Greece in 2001,
the first visit of a pontiff to Greece in more than a
thousand years. Christodoulos reciprocated by visiting the
Pope at the Vatican in 2006. Both visits brought outcries
from some ultra-traditionalist Orthodox believers.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
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3. (U) Upon the Archbishop's death, a (literally) Byzantine
process of preparing for his funeral and, thereafter, to
select his predecessor begins immediately. First is the
preparation of the Archbishop's body followed by three days
of official mourning, during which the Archbishop lies in
state at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The
Archbishop's remains have already been transferred to the
Cathedral, and public viewing has begun. On the fourth or
fifth day after death, there is a funeral at the Cathedral
and burial at the First Cemetery of Athens. The Archbishop's
funeral is expected to take place on Thursday, January 31,
@gh it is possible that it could be on Friday, February

1. The funeral will likely be presided over by His All
Holiness Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew I as was
requested by Christodoulos.

THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR A SUCCESSOR
--------------


4. (U) Because the Eastern Orthodox Church of Greece is "the
prevailing" religion of the Hellenic Republic, there is a
symbiotic relationship between it and the Greek state.
Indeed, the procedure for electing a new Archbishop is
codified in public law number 590/1977 and requires the
presence of the Minister of Education and Religions during
the otherwise secret election of a new Archbishop.


5. (U) According to the succession law, upon the passing of
the Archbishop, the senior Metropolitan (an exalted level of
Bishop) becomes the Archbishop, ad interim, and takes command
of the Permanent Holy Synod -- the ruling body of the Church
of Greece. The senior bishop is determined by calculating

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age and length of service. At the direction of the
Archbishop, a.i., the Permanent Holy Synod is convened within
a maximum of five days after the death of the Archbishop.
(NOTE: At present, the two most senior Metropolitans in
Greece are of advanced age and seriously ill. Therefore the
role of senior Archbishop has been filled by Seraphim,
Metropolitan of Karysteia, third in seniority. End note.)
The Permanent Holy Synod has been convened for January 28 at
1400 local time.


6. (U) The Permanent Holy Synod then makes preparations to
convene the Plenary Session of the Holy Synod, comprised of
all the Metropolitans of Greece. The Plenary Session must be
convened within twenty days of the death of the Archbishop.
In order for the Plenary Session to elect a new Archbishop
there must be a quorum present -- made up of two-thirds of
the total number of Metropolitans. There are approximately
90 Metropolitans who will be eligible to vote for the
successor to Christodoulos. If there is no quorum present,
the Synod re-convenes the next day and a quorum is assumed,
irrespective of the actual number of Metropolitans present,
and the election proceeds.

THE ELECTION
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7. (U) The election process begins with a special liturgy.
Any voting member of the Synod may present his own name for
election. Voting then takes place before a committee made up
of the three senior Metropolitans. They, together with the
Minister of Education and Religion, inspect the ballot box
and place a seal upon it as prescribed by law. The youngest
Metropolitans vote first, and voting is done by secret
ballot. Each bishop writes the name of his chosen candidate
on a piece of paper which is placed into an envelope and the
envelope is placed into the ballot box. The next Archbishop
is determined by a simple majority. If no clear winner is
determined by the first round, two additional rounds are
permitted. However, if after the third round, no single
candidate emerges as the winner, the Archbishop is selected
by drawing lots. No breaks or intermissions are permitted
during this process.


8. (U) The result of the election is communicated to the
Ministry of Education and Religions in writing by the
Permanent Holy Synod within five days of the election. A
Presidential Decree is then issued to recognize the new
Archbishop who then declares before the President of the
Republic, the Permanent Synod and the Minister of Education
and Religions his vow to protect and defend the laws of the
Church and the Constitution, and an enthronement liturgy
follows.

COMMENT
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9. (U) While the law sets forth specific maximum time periods
for each of the steps in the selection process, generally
things move very quickly. By the fourth day after the death
of the Archbishop, the funeral and burial should have already
taken place. Within another two to three weeks, the Plenary
Session will be convened and a new Archbishop will be
elected. The results will be known immediately after the
vote when the new Archbishop emerges from the building where
the vote takes place (Ioannou Gennadiou -- the permanent seat
of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece) and announces his
election to the large crowd of gathered faithful and members
of the press.


10. (SBU) (Comment continued) At present, there are four or
five main contenders for the position of the next Archbishop
of Athens and All Greece. They are from the dioceses of
Thessaloniki, Spart, Attica, Volos and Zakynthos. It is not
known, however, how many candidates will ultimately engage in
the election process as any bishop may nominate himself. In
any case, we deem it unlikely that the next Archbishop will
lead the church in different directions on key issues. End
Comment.
SPECKHARD