New York: Mourning for the tragic death of Greek-American police officer - The Message of the Archbishop

In a somber atmosphere, the Greek community biud farewell together with the New York police to Anastasios Tsakos. The expatriate policeman lost his life on duty, when a 32-year-old woman who was under the influence of intoxication struck him with her car in the early hours of Holy Tuesday. The funeral was held at St. Paradise Church in New York Greenland.

The funeral procession, officiated by the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos, was attended by the Mayor of New York Bill De Blasio, as well as a number of police officers, who said goodbye to Anastasios Tsakos with all the prescribed honors. The expatriate policeman left behind his two parents, Stavros and Anna Tsakou, his wife Irini and his two minor children, aged three and five.

Archbishop Elpidoforos: What we can do in such moments is to embrace each other and show love

"It is very difficult for anyone to say goodbye to such a hero, such a husband, such a patriot, a child of Greece, who, wherever he went, only made his own people, his church and his homeland proud, because he was a man of offering and love.

I confess that as Archbishop, as a clergyman, as an Orthodox, I can not find words to comfort his wife, Irene, his children, his father and his mother. There are no words. What we can do in such moments is to embrace each other and show love. We must embrace those left behind by Tasos and let God speak to their hearts and let time slowly close this great wound.

Irene have health, to remember him, to raise his children and to talk about their father, and to be proud of both Jenny and the little one. And you, father and mother, say goodbye to a hero of the homeland, a brave child, a model Christian, a good child. I have no words to tell you. I can only tell you that it will be me, the church, the whole Greek community, all the New York police, we will all be close to you. May his memory live forever".

Bill de Blasio: We mourn the loss of a good man

The mayor of New York described Anastasios Tsakos as a true hero, urging his children to be proud of their father. "We all mourn for a good man in all respects who has passed away. His family is mourning, the New York police are mourning, the city is mourning. Some people are real heroes and they are there for others. "Such a man was Anastasios Tsakos", noted the mayor Bill de Blasio.