Metropolitan Paul of Drama died of a myocardial infarction; he “passed away” suddenly in the early hours of Monday morning. The bishop had visited Naoussa over the weekend at the invitation of the local metropolitan, Panteleimon, to participate in the worship services and commemorative events marking the 200th anniversary of the Naoussa Massacre and the feast of the Life-Giving Spring, which were attended by the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and the Archbishop of Athens, Ieronymos.
He then traveled to Veroia on Sunday evening, where he began to feel unwell, and was taken first to a hospital in the city and then to Thessaloniki, where he passed away.
By decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Xanthi and Peritheorio was appointed administrator of the vacant Metropolis of Drama. Panteleimon.
The Metropolitan of Drama, Venerable and Exarch of Macedonia, Mr. Paul (born Alexander Apostolidis), was born in Veroia in 1963.
After completing his general education, he studied at the Ecclesiastical School of Lamia, from which he graduated. He was then admitted to the School of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
After completing his undergraduate studies in 1988, he continued his graduate studies and received his master’s degree in 1995.
He had been a professor at the same university since 2002.
He was ordained a deacon in 1983 and a presbyter in 1988 by the late Metropolitan Paul of Veroia.
He served as parish priest of the Church of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Veroia, and then, in 1991, he was elected abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Soumela and vice president of the board of directors of the foundation of the same name.
He has written articles for newspapers and magazines, has given numerous speeches and lectures, and has participated in church missions in Greece and abroad.
Five days after the passing of Metropolitan Dionysios of Drama, on October 5, 2005, he was elected Metropolitan of Drama by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.
He was ordained a bishop on the 9th of that month.
He also inaugurated the new church of St. Chrysostom of Smyrna in Drama in 2016.
His fight against anti-vaxxers
The deceased had passionately advocated for vaccinations against the novel coronavirus, and this stance had often brought him into conflict with leading figures in the anti-vaccination movement. For this very reason, there were quite a few people who, upon hearing the news of his death, “lashed out” on social media, including several “patriotic” profiles that had previously applauded his stance on the “Macedonian” issue.
We would like to remind you that on December 17, 2021, the Metropolitan had filed a criminal complaint against two individuals for posts made against him on social media, in connection with his stance on the coronavirus pandemic and the unvaccinated priests in his metropolitan province. After the metropolitan filed the complaint, police authorities located the two individuals, who were brought before the courts. One of the false posts against him even claimed that he was prohibiting the burial of people who had died from COVID-19.
After his meeting with judicial authorities, the bishop had urged the faithful to be careful when attending services at certain churches in his diocese, where the parish priests were not adhering to safety measures, and even urged the faithful in his churches not to get vaccinated.
Among other things, he had stated:
«Everyone knows how responsibly we behaved during the pandemic. This encourages all the irresponsible people to act freely to the point of committing crimes. Everyone is free to believe what they want, but they do not have the right to slander others. We, too—both as bishops and as citizens—have a need for protection, especially because some people place their trust in us. The notion that a bishop is a sellout—that is, that he takes bribes—that he is a Freemason, or that he is the Antichrist, cannot be allowed to circulate. And while we have repeatedly said this—and I take this opportunity to say it again— I am making a public appeal to our clergy who have not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated so that they may set a good example for our Christians».
The Metropolitan had also received threatening letters, and, as we mentioned above, the toxicity and hatred directed against him continued even after his death. It should be noted that the Metropolitan of Drama had sided with those who had called for a pay cut for clergy who had not been vaccinated (except for those with medical exemptions).
