Miami, Fla., Oct 9, 2007 / 09:03 am
Doctors in Miami have canceled a liver transplant for the head of the Greek Orthodox Church after finding that his cancer has spread too far.
68-year-old Archbishop Christodoulos was diagnosed with cancer in June. He was scheduled for transplant surgery Monday, but during the procedure doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his abdominal cavity, making the transplant impossible.
Archbishop Christodoulos has been known for working to improve relations with the Roman Catholic Church, which were severed in 1054 and have been slowly recovering since then. In 2001 the archbishop met with Pope John Paul II, the first pope to visit Greece in over 1,000 years. Archbishop Christodoulos also met with Pope Benedict XVI last year.
The archbishop will remain hospitalized until doctors determine the next course of treatment.