The head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostom II, died on Monday at the age of 81, his doctors said, Reuters reports. He was a fierce critic of Putin’s war in Ukraine.

A powerful figure who stood up to pro-Russian elements in one of the world’s oldest churches, Chrysostom was among the Orthodox leaders who recognized the Ukrainian church’s independence after it split from Moscow in 2020.

The Church of Cyprus, an independent branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, has a long history, beginning with Barnabas, one of the first apostles of Christ.

The archbishop’s funeral will take place on November 12 in the presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The government of Cyprus declared national mourning before the funeral.

Zlatoust, who was elected archbishop in 2006, criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

“Mr. Putin can go to church, he can take communion, but at the same time he kills. Is this his Orthodoxy?” – he said this year in an interview with the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.

The governing body of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Holy Synod, by a majority of votes agreed to recognize the independence of the Church in Ukraine, although some voted against, threatening a schism.

Zlatoust, who was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, threatened to fire those who oppose vaccination during the pandemic.

• The Orthodox Church of Cyprus will suspend 12 priests because they refuse to be vaccinated against Covid

He also sharply criticized Turkey, which invaded a third of northern Cyprus in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup.

Outspoken and often compared more to a businessman than a cleric, Zlatoust managed to defeat his rivals in the 2006 elections.

“We are not angels,” he was quoted as saying by a daily newspaper on the day of his inauguration.