Greek Orthodox church head dies

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, has died, aged 69, after suffering from cancer.

An attempted liver transplant in 2007 was unsuccessful, and the archbishop had grown steadily weaker recently.

Archbishop Christodoulos was a colourful and controversial figure, the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Greece says.

He defended the church's pre-eminent role in the state and upheld Hellenism - the national character and culture of Greece, our correspondent says.

But critics say that under Archbishop Christodoulos, Greece remained a country which discriminates against those who are not Orthodox, including Catholics and worshippers of other branches of Christianity.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7212502.stm