Athens, Greece, Feb 9, 2008 / 12:37 pm
The Greek Orthodox Church on Thursday elected a new leader to replace the late Archbishop Christodoulos, the Associated Press reports.
After two rounds of voting, senior clergy chose Metropolitan Bishop Ieronymous of Thebes to become the next Metropolitan of Athens. Within an hour of the vote, Metropolitan Ieronymous, accompanied by other candidates for the office, appeared on the balcony of the archbishop’s office before cheering crowds.
"In whichever position the church appoints us, no matter how high, we must know that our leader is Christ," the Metropolitan Ieronymous said, according to the Associated Press.
The archbishop will be enthroned on February 16.