Chrysostomos Dimitriou
Chrysostomos Dimitriou (in Greek: Χρυσόστομος Δημητρίου ; 1889 – 22 October 1958), also known by his episcopal names of Chrysostomos of Zakynthos or Chrysostomos of Trifylias and Olympias, was the Orthodox bishop of the island of Zakynthos during World War II and the Orthodox bishop of Trifylia and Olympia afterwards until his death.
He is known to have, together with Mayor Lucas Carrer, saved the Jews of the island from the Holocaust and for this was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations.
Before Word War II
Chrysostomos Dimitriou was born in 1889 in the city of the Piraeus, the main port of Athens.[1] He studied theology in the Theological School of Athens and was ordained as a deacon on July 1916 and then priest the 11 March 1917 by Theoclitos I of Athens.[1] He then served as a preacher in the diocese of Demetrias and Thebes before being sent to study theology in Munich, Germany, where he learned German.[1][2]
After his return to Greece, he was named Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece before being ordained as the Metropolitan of Zakynthos.[1] Since the beginning of his work as a Metropolitan in Zakynthos, he showed sympathy against the Jews of the island and for that, was criticized by Orthodox fanatics.[2][3] In 1935, he joined the Old-Calendarist sect, but after being condemned by the Holy Synod, he issued public repentance and was admitted back as the legitimate Metropolitan of Zakynthos.[1]
World War II
During the first part of the war, the island fell under Italian occupation. He made a commitment in favor of the prisoners of war to obtain their release. He was arrested by the authorities and exiled to Athens for a year before returning to his bishopric.[2][3] On 9 September 1943, six days after Italy's surrender, the Germans took possession of the island.[4] The Nazis began making plans to deport Jews from the island, who had survived the Holocaust so far. They asked the Metropolitan and the Mayor Lucas Carrer to give them a list of the Jews residing on the island in order to proceed to the deportation.[2][4][5] The Metropolitan asked Lucas Carrer to burn the list and went to the German governor, Lütt. He told him that the Jews on the island were "part of his flock" and that he could not give him the list, then, wrote his name on a piece of paper and said "Here is the list".[2][4][5]
After warning the Jewish community, which hid in the mountains of the island, he promised them that the Greek islanders would protect them, and despite attempts by the Germans to proceed anyways with the deportation, the Jewish community of Zakynthos was left relatively unhindered.[4]
He said to have follow the orders of the Arbishop of Athens, Damaskinos, who declared : "I have taken up my cross. I spoke to the Lord, and made up my mind to save as many Jewish souls as possible.”[4]
After World War II
After the war, the Jewish community financed the stained glass windows of the Saint Dimitri church in Zakynthos in his honor.[6] He was then transferred, shortly before his death, to the Archdiocese of Trifylias and Olympias, before dying on 22 October 1958.[1]
On 7 November 1978, he was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations, along with Lucas Carrer, for his actions to protect Jews from the Holocaust.[4]
Notes and references
- ^ a b c d e f "Μητροπολίτης Τριφυλίας Χρυσόστομος Δημητρίου (+ 22-10-1958)". users.sch.gr. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ a b c d e "ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΥ - Εβραϊκό Μουσείο Ελλάδος". www.jewishmuseum.gr (in Greek). 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ a b "Επιφανείς Ζακυνθινοί στο σύγχρονο Ελληνικό Κράτος~ 27/1 Ημέρα Μνήμης Θυμάτων Ολοκαυτώματος: Μητρ. Χρυσόστομος Δημητρίου και Δημ. Λουκάς Καρρέρ / Μουσείο Σολωμού & Επιφανών Ζακυνθίων". zakynthos-museumsolomos.gr. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ a b c d e f "Metropolitan Chrysostomos, Mayor Lucas Carrer". www.yadvashem.org. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ a b KEREM, YITZCHAK; כרם, יצחק (1989). "הישרדותם של יהודי זקינתוס בתקופת השואה / THE SURVIVAL OF THE JEWS OF ZAKYNTHOS IN THE HOLOCAUST". Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies / דברי הקונגרס העולמי למדעי היהדות. י: 387–394. ISSN 0333-9068.
- ^ "Dimitrios Chrysostomos, métropolite grec | Juste parmi les Nations". www.yadvashem.org. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
