Athens, Dec. 28, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Christodoulos, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, reminded the faithful that death is "the common fate of all men," in a message released on Christmas Day. The archbishop said that the fear of death is balanced by "the relief and comfort found in Christian faith."
The Greek prelate, who played a key role in ecumenical history when he welcomed Pope John Paul II to Greece in 2001, is suffering in the advanced stages of liver cancer. Aides revealed this week that the archbishop's condition is now grave.
In October, Archbishop Christodoulos, who is 68, traveled to Miami for a liver transplant. But doctors cancelled plans for the surgery when they discovered that the cancer was already too far advanced to allow for the operation.