H.E. Paul, Metropolitan of Cape Town, fell asleep in the Lord on 18th January, 1999, at the age of 87.

H.E. Paul, born Ioannis Varnavas, was born in 1912 in the village of Panakyvides, near Lemesos, Cyprus. In 1929, at the age of 17, he was ordained deacon, and in 1931 became Presbyter. He graduated from the Theological School of Athens in 1942. In 1956 he joined the clergy of the Throne of Alexandria and was appointed rector of the Church of the Annunciation of the Hellenic Community of Pretoria, where he served until 1968. In the same year he was elected by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria as the first Metropolitan of the newly established Holy Diocese of Cape Town and all Natal, a post which he held faithfully until the day when he fell asleep in the Lord.

H.B. Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa departed from Alexandria today for Athens, and will continue on to Cape Town tomorrow, where He is to officiate at the funeral of H.E. Paul, which will be held in the Church of Saint George, Cape Town.

From the Patriarchal Press Office