Messolonghi, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece, January 5, 2022
Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
The funeral of His Eminence Metropolitan Kosmas of Aetolia of the Orthodox Church of Greece was served yesterday at the Church of St. Spyridon in Messolonghi in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit.
The Metropolitan reposed in the Lord on Monday after several weeks in the hospital.
Following the funeral, his body was carried in procession in to the Monastery of the Entrance of the Theotokos of Myrtias. As the procession exited the Church of St. Spyridon, the faithful sprinkled his coffin with flowers, shouting “Saint!” and “Axios!” reports Vima Orthodoxias.
The funeral was served by Metropolitans Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, Seraphim of Piraeus, and Nikolaos of Mesogaia, with other hierarchs in attendance.
Bishop Philotheos of Oreoi, the Chief Secretary of the Greek Holy Synod, noted the many areas of Met. Kosmas’ work throughout his lifetime, including pastoral, charitable, and anti-heretical work. But his main work was with the youth, the hierarch said.
“His spiritual children believe that the wish he made in his enthronement speech to resemble St. Kosmas of Aetolia was fulfilled… The blessed Metropolitan Kosmas is going from death to life today,” Bp. Philotheos said.
Photo: orthodoxianewsagency.gr
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Met. Kosmas was born in Agrinio in 1945. He studied political science in Athens and theology at the University of Thessaloniki.
He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in 1974, serving as a preacher for the Diocese of Aetolia for more than 30 years.
He was consecrated to the episcopacy on October 8, 2005.
Met. Kosmas was among the most vocal Greek bishops concerning the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s anti-Orthodox actions in Ukraine. In 2019, he and Metropolitans Seraphim of Kythira, Seraphim of Piraeus, and Andreas of Dryinoupolis appealed to Patriarch Bartholomew and the heads of the other autocephalous Local Churches to convene a council to solve the Ukrainian crisis, though, sadly, Pat. Bartholomew refuses to listen to his brother bishops.
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