Former Patriarch of Jerusalem Irenaios reposes in the Lord

Former Patriarch of Jerusalem Irenaios reposed in the Lord on Tuesday at a central Athens hospital, after facing serious health problems over the recent period.
After the intervention of Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos, former Patriarch Irenaios had resided at the Archdiocese of Athens’ St. Porphyrios center for gerontology and elderly care, north of Athens proper, since August 2019.

Irenaios I, born Emmanuel Skopelitis, was born in April 1939 on the eastern Aegean Island of Samos. In 1953 he went to Jerusalem. In 1959 he was ordained as a deacon and priest. He graduated from the Theological School of Athens in 1966, and in the same year was bestowed the title of Archimandrite.

The former Patriarch of Jerusalem was Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Athens from 1979 to 2001. In 1994 he was promoted to Metropolitan.

In August 2001, Eirinaios was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem, with seven votes out of 17.

In 2011, after approval by authorities and after several years in isolation after his withdrawal from the Throne of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the door of his monastic cell was opened for journalist Maria Giahnaki, who spoke to the reposed hierarch in an exclusive interview.

In a statement issued after the solemn announcement, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed grief and sadness over the passing of the former Patriarch.

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