Tamassos, Cyprus, June 7, 2021
It is a shame that, unlike other Local Orthodox Churches, the Church of Cyprus has not “utilized the wealth of Cypriot martyrdom,” meaning few of the martyrs of the 1821 revolution have been glorified by the Church, one Cypriot hierarch said over the weekend.
His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos voiced his concern while presenting a talk on “The Martyred Clergy of Cyprus in 1821” on Saturday during an academic conference dedicated to the massacre of July 9, 1821, during which the Pasha of Cyprus, Kucuk Mehmet massacred nearly 500 prominent Cypriot Greeks in relation for the revolt launched on March 25 that year.
His Eminence referred to the martyrdom of the Cypriot clergy in 1821 as the “supreme proof of the greatness of the priestly soul of clergy,” reports Romfea.
Specifically, he spoke about, among others, His Eminence Archbishop Kyprianos, a supporter of the Greek revolution, who was hanged on July 9. The Archbishop is perhaps the first who should be canonized, Met. Isaiah believes.
“Through this conference, we expect the hierarchy of the Church of Cyprus to start thoroughly researching the biographies of the Cypriot hieromartyrs and soon draw the right conclusions. Our wish and hope is to begin with the canonization of the Holy Ethnomartyr Archbishop Kyprianos of Cyprus, as a minimum tribute to his sacred martyrdom for the faith and homeland,” His Eminence called.
Abp. Kyprianos was primate of the Church of Cyprus from 1810 until he was killed in 1821. During his tenure, he strove zealously to revitalize education for the Orthodox people of Cyprus.
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