Chrysostomos Kalafatis
Chrysostomos Kalafatis ( Greek Χρυσόστομος Καλαφάτης ), known as Chrysostomos of Smyrna (* 1867 in Triglia (Asia Minor) ; † September 9, 1922 in Izmir ) was Archbishop of Izmir in the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople from 1910 to 1922 .
In 1902 he was from Patriarch Joachim III. of Constantinople appointed Bishop of Drama . This bishop's seat was in the east of Macedonia, a part of the Ottoman Empire at that time that was predominantly inhabited by Greeks.
His strong commitment to Greek interests led to his expulsion by the Turkish authorities in 1907. In 1910 the Patriarch sent him to Izmir as bishop . Again he campaigned strongly for the predominantly Greek population, especially the Greeks who fled persecution from Anatolia. Chrysostom was then expelled again to Istanbul in 1914.
After the end of the First World War, Izmir was occupied by Greek troops as a result of the Treaty of Sèvres , and Chrysostom returned to Izmir as bishop in 1919. After the conquest of Izmir by Kemalist troops in 1922, Archbishop Chrysostom was cruelly lynched by the Turkish mob at the behest of Nureddin Pasha .
Eduard Joulie, a French MP in October 1922, spoke about his murder in front of the French parliament: “You took the archbishop to a barber shop and cut off his beard and hair. They then stabbed him, cut off his nose, and put out his eyes. Our sailors had to look on in despair. The officer in charge threatened them with shooting if they intervened. Then they took the body to the Turkish city district, where they left it and threw it to the dogs to eat ”.
Chrysostom had previously refused to leave the city despite the threatened conquest of Izmir by the Turks , as he saw it as his duty as archbishop to assist his community during this difficult time.
Remembrance day
He is now venerated as a saint and martyr by the Orthodox Church after the Church of Greece canonized him on November 14, 1992. His feast day is on the Sunday before the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross .
Individual evidence
- ^ [1] George Horton: The Blight of Asia, Indianapolis 1926
- ^ Electronic library of the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece . Retrieved March 23, 2019.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kalafatis, Chrysostom |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Chrysostom of Smyrna; Καλαφάτης, Χρυσόστομος (Greek) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Greek clergyman, Archbishop of Smyrna |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1867 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Triglia (Asia Minor) |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 9, 1922 |
| Place of death | Izmir |