Cyprus, December 20, 2022
Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
Parishioners of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus cast their votes on Sunday for the next primate of their Church.
The former primate, Archbishop Chrysostomos, reposed in the Lord on November 7, having served at the head of the Local Cypriot Church for 16 years.
In the Cypriot Church, the faithful first cast their votes for the next primate, then the Holy Synod chooses from among the people’s three favorite hierarchs.
According to the final tallies, His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol is the clear favorite, having received nearly as many votes as the next two candidates combined, reports Romfea.
The three hierarchs who are moving on the next round are Met. Athanasios (35.68%), Metropolitan Georgios of Paphos (18.39%), and Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos (18.10%).
Metropolitan Vasilios received 14.79% of the votes, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou received 9.8%, and Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kyrenie received 3.24%.
The Holy Synod is expected to choose the next primate by the end of the year.
Among the three, Met. Georgios is ideologically the closest to the previous Archbishop, though Met. Isaiah has also turned in that direction in the past few months, notably completely changing his stance on the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.” Whereas he once opposed the recognition of unordained schismatics, he now wholeheartedly stands behind the Constantinople’s intervention in Ukraine.
Met. Athanasios is also known for his public stance against the recognition of the schismatics, though he has also stated that if chosen as the next Archbishop, he will continue the commemoration of Epiphany Dumenko of the OCU, though his stance seems to be more one of obedience to the Holy Synod rather than a personal conviction that the OCU is a true Church.
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