Nicosia, Cyprus, February 3, 2021
phile.news
Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus finds himself at the center of another scandal after the Archdiocese demolished a number of historical buildings where a new cathedral is being constructed in the capital city of Nicosia.
The Ministry of the Interior said yesterday it was “deeply concerned about the arbitrary and illegal demolition” of four federally-protected buildings in Nicosia’s historic old town. The buildings were demolished on Monday, reports phile.news.
Attorney General George Savvidis has also made official inquiries about the serious incident.
The Archbishop is also at the center of another scandal dating to 2015, when he helped a Malaysian fugitive obtain Cypriot citizenship in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Cypriot primate was summoned to testify before the investigative committee last week.
Though the houses were on ecclesiastical land, their demolition violates laws that protect objects of cultural heritage, Interior Minister Nikos Nouris. Nicosia Mayor Konstantinos Giorkatzis also revealed on state radio that the Church acted without prior permission from the municipality, which will demand the restoration of the buildings that date back to 1927.
The four buildings are among the 7,000 that enjoy state protection for the preservation of the island’s cultural heritage.
“There is so much indignation against the primate that even the voices of citizens are heard asking for his arrest!” reports ekirikas.com.
The Cyprus Technical Chamber, an advisory body on engineering and building standards, accused the Church of violating the terms of its design permit for the new cathedral by which it was contractually obligated to maintain and restore the surrounding buildings.
Nicosia City Councilor Chrysanthos Fakas said the Archbishop gave an oral promise yesterday to restore the buildings, which were just across from his residence. However, as reporter.com notes, the Archdiocese itself has not announced any official position on the matter.
The demolition angered several political parties, which requested the relevant authorities “to do what is provided by the laws of our state.”
“Our cultural heritage is not the property of the Archbishop,” reads a statement from the AKEL party.
Among the other scandals involving the Archbishop is his recent unilateral decision to recognize the Ukrainian schismatics that provoked a serious divide in the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Abp. Chrysostomos has also verbally abused those bishops that have spoken out against his anti-canonical actions.
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