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AN Australian Greek Orthodox bishop was killed alongside the spiritual leader of African Greek Orthodox Christians in a helicopter crash that killed 16 off the coast of northern Greece yesterday. Bishop Nectarios, a former South Australian priest-monk who pioneered the church in Madagascar, was a passenger in a Greek army Chinook helicopter which crashed in the Aegean Sea. The crash also claimed the life of African spiritual leader the Patriarch of Alexandria, Peter VII, and 14 others. They were heading to the Mount Athos monastery in northern Greece, one of the holiest sites in Orthodox Christianity. The aircraft's pilot reportedly...

Last Updated: Saturday, 11 September, 2004, 17:39 GMT 18:39 UK Patriarch Petros: Architect of revival By Mike Workman BBC News One of the most senior bishops of the worldwide Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, Petros VII, has died after a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece. The Patriarch was born in Cyprus in 1949. His links to the church in Alexandria go back to 1970, when he was first ordained a deacon. He was elected Patriarch in 1997. Patriarch Petros was the head of a church which traces its origins back to St Mark, the author...

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Egypt's Patriarch of Alexandria, a top leader of the Greek Orthodox church, is among 17 people killed in a helicopter crash off northern Greece. The military aircraft, which was carrying a delegation of religious officials, crashed into the Aegean Sea on Saturday, according to a Greek Defense Ministry official. Seven bodies have been recovered and rescuers are searching for the other 10 people who were aboard the helicopter. Patriarch Petros of Alexandria, the head of the 300,000 Christian Orthodox congregation in Africa, was on the flight with 11 other church officials and five crew members, Lt....