Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens hospitalized after a slight ailment

Archbishop Hieronymos II of Athens and All Hellas was hospitalized at the G. Gennimatas Hospital in Athens after suffering a mild ischemic episode. His condition is assessed as stable and without concern, and the hospitalization is mainly preventive in nature. The archbishop is expected to be discharged Monday afternoon.

According to Orthodox Times, on the morning of the hospitalization, the Primate of the Hellenic Church presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Athens, as well as the consecration of Bishop John of Sciathia. Shortly thereafter, he felt slightly ill and tired, and it was decided that he should be taken to a medical facility for examination.

Throughout, Archbishop Jerome was fully conscious and maintained clarity of speech. According to an official statement from the Holy Synod, he was placed under medical observation «as a purely preventive measure.» Doctors confirm that his condition is not a cause for concern and he is currently undergoing routine medical tests. The Archbishop is reportedly calm and in good spirits.

Recall, we reported earlier that the violent seizures of monasteries and churches, as well as the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), supported by the Ukrainian authorities, caused widespread outrage in Greece. Hundreds of protest messages were sent to the Greek publication Vima Orthodoxias after it published about the mistreatment of the canonical Church. The attempted expulsion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, head of the UOC, has also provoked outrage among Greek hierarchs and politicians, but the official position of the Hellenic Church remains wait-and-see amid geopolitical pressures.