But he also hopes for justice. Because a witness of faith and homeland leaves. A man who faced his ordeal for 33 years as a young man, raised the cross of his martyrdom as a woman and walks towards the eternal monasteries "as if he had been ready for a long time as a brave man".
Since yesterday morning when we heard the unpleasant news for us, unpleasant with human measures, of course, my mother, at an advanced age, is constantly crying and upset, repeating the scene that has been imprinted on her mind: when she went to give us a house, then in the first difficult years of our exile, she was deported in a savage manner and she was very sad. Then, like "God from a machine", Cornelius appeared in front of her and said to her: "come with me and do not be sad". As soon as the other employees saw him, they immediately served my mom.
This was Cornelius for us Lefkonia, dear ones. A guardian angel. The personification of goodness and kindness. A tool in the bureaucracy, to make our lives easier, especially after our uprooting, when some people pretended that they did not know or really did not know what the world of Lefkonikos and our Mesaoria in general was like.
And if in Lefkoniko we had a good idea about the Paphites, this is entirely due to some grooms of our town, such as the father of the Minister of Defense, Mr. Dimitris Iliadis, the teacher Mr. Kyriakos Nikolaidis and the father Kornilios Kyriakidis who it was a blessing for all of us.
Born in February 1937 in the village of Agios Dimitrianos in Paphos, he belonged to a large family with six children, and managed, despite deprivation and hardship, to graduate from Polemi High School. Immediately, he joined the E.O.K.A. under the pseudonym Thalis, while at the same time working at the Limassol and Paphos post offices.
In fact, on his own initiative and at the suggestion of his department head, the shipment of weapons by post from Greece was organized, while he personally undertook the import of weapons and their delivery to militant associations in the Paphos area.
In October 1958 he was arrested and held in the Omorfita and Kokkinotrimithia detention centers. It is well known to all of us that in these hells of the noble English, the modern Dachau, those who entered were severely tortured, both physically and mentally. When he came out, he was a raccoon in a miserable condition, he had only 50 kilos left. Fortunately, he escaped the worst, because in February 1959 the capitulation took place and the Struggle ended.
The sufferings of Cyprus do not end, however. Because what came after so many sacrifices and tortures was not freedom. It was an image of freedom. The British with his policy of division and reign brought the Turks into the political game. Thus, the inter-communal disorders of 1963 began, where again, who else, the fighters of E.O.K.A. to conquer the honor and reputation of this unfortunate island. Also present was Cornelius, who served as a volunteer platoon member, under the guidance of Captain Charalambos Lottas.
Blessed Cornelius met his beloved Panagiota in 1965 in Famagusta and married her in 1966. They had two sons and four grandchildren who could not rejoice as much as he would have liked, due to the unequal battle with the disease that afflicted him all these years. plate sclerosis. However, the fighter Cornelius, always having at his side a guardian angel, his good Panagiota, with her love, self-denial and constant care, managed to face his illness and not to compromise. Until his last moment, he refused to lay down his arms. He died on the night of June 16 at the General Hospital.
The blessed Cornelius with these parchments leaves a good memory. It was a sun whose rays scattered joy, kindness, affection, heterocentrism of love. Gifted with extraordinary abilities, with knowledge, acuity, critical thinking, dynamism, maturity, he was always simple, easygoing, smiling, modest.
A man, nurtured by values and ideals, a true patriot, freedom fighter, passed on to his children the eternal and ageless values of Hellenism and Christianity, such as the value of homeland, respect, honesty and honesty, for which children they thank him and thank him.
To the joyful wife of Panagiotas who stood as a genuine Lefkonikiatissa, generous, patient, housewife and advanced by the side of her Man to the end, and to his excellent children, Kyriakos and Charalambos, we wish God to give them the strength to endure his loss. Cornelius, and honor him as he deserves.
Our dear Cornelius, all of us who have known and loved you will always remember you. You leave a good memory. You were the "good" man. Lefkoniko loved you very much, just like you.
May God rest your soul.
Let the soil that will cover you be light.
Have a good trip and greetings to all our villagers, the people of heaven.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Holy Temple of Timios Prodromos, 4 p.m.