Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem

Summary

Diodoros or Diodorus Greek: Διόδωρος; born Damianos G. Karivalis Greek: Δαμιανός Γ. Καρίβαλης (14 August 1923 – 20 December 2000) was the Patriarch of Jerusalem in the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem from 1980 to 2000.[1]

He was born on the Greek island of Chios on 14 August 1923. He became a monk in 1943 and was renamed Diodoros. Three years later he became a priest, then an archbishop of Hierapolis in 1965. He served in Hierapolis prior to his election and was Patriarchal Exarch in Amman, Jordan, until 1980 when he was raised to the Patriarchate.

His time in office had some controversies, mainly due to his lack of fluent Arabic and reports of sales and long-term leases of church properties.[2]

He met Pope John Paul II in early 2000;[3] in December 2000 he died in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, of complications linked to diabetes. At the time of his death, there were fewer than 100,000 Greek Orthodox Christians across Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories.[2][4]

References edit

  1. ^ Jerusalem Patriarchate website, Apostolic Succession section
  2. ^ a b New York Times website, Diodoros I, 77, Top Patriarch Of Greek Faith in Holy Land, article by William A. Orme Jr. dated Dec. 21, 2000
  3. ^ LA Times website, Diodoros I; Led Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, article dated December 22, 2000
  4. ^ Irish Times website, Patriarch led Oldest Church in Jerusalem, article by Patrick Comerford dated December 21, 2000
  • "Statement on the Death of Patriarch Diodoros I" (Press release). Orthodox Research Institute. December 20, 2000. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007.
Preceded by Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
1980–2000
Succeeded by