Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden bid farewell to Giorgos Triantafyllidis, who passed away suddenly at the age of 52, offering words of faith, consolation and hope in the Resurrection.
In his funeral address, delivered on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Cathedral of Saint George in Stockholm, the Metropolitan spoke of the profound pain caused by an unexpected loss, stressing that the Church does not seek to provide easy answers to the mystery of death, but instead stands beside those who mourn and offers them the hope of the Resurrection.
“For a Christian, death is not annihilation,” Metropolitan Cleopas said, describing it as a passage “from time into eternity.” Even amid grief, he added, “the light of the Resurrection remains burning.”
The Metropolitan made particular reference to the late Giorgos Triantafyllidis’ wife, Zinovia, and their two daughters, Chrysoula and Anastasia. He encouraged them to keep his memory alive through love and prayer, as well as through the values he had passed on to them.
Drawing on Triantafyllidis’ particular love of football, Metropolitan Cleopas compared life to a match, emphasizing that its value is measured not simply by its duration, but above all by the “traces of love” a person leaves behind.
Concluding his address, the Metropolitan stressed that the Church does not say a final “goodbye” to the departed, but rather “until we meet again,” expressing faith in the common Resurrection and offering prayers for strength and consolation to his family.
