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A public announcement said he passed away peacefully.
“What those of us who were close to him experienced during the difficult hours of his illness, was his humility, the kindness of his soul and his profound faith as well as his concern for his flock,” reads the statement. “What we will remember will always be with us, that is his honesty, kindness and smile.”
“The people of Cyprus mourn the loss of Archbishop Chrysostomos II,” president Nicos Anastasiades said in a tweet.
The archbishop’s body has been transferred to the Apostolos Varnavas cathedral within the grounds of the Archbishopric.
Chrysostomos II was enthroned as archbishop in November 2006.
WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed deep sadness at the loss of Chrysostomos II.
“We give thanks to God for the life and witness of Archbishop Chrysostomos,” said Sauca. “All along his life and ministry he encouraged and strengthened inter-Orthodox relations; he was supportive of inter-Christian relations and ecumenical organisations such as the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches, the Middle East Council of Churches; he offered an unconditional support to neighbouring churches in the Middle East whenever they were facing difficulties.”
WCC moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm gave thanks for Chrysostomos II’s dedication to his people, still suffering the division of their beloved country.
“He made tireless efforts for a peaceful solution but, unfortunately, he did not see his country united,” he said. “May God, the God of resurrection and life, give rest to Archbishop Chrysostomos and may his memory be eternal.”
