Paphos, Cyprus, June 13, 2023
Photo: arxon.gr
While some bishops of the Church of Cyprus, such as Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos, have completely changed their stance and now embrace the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” and its primate “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko, and others, such as Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, have at least softened their stance, there remain a few bishops who remain vigilant on this matter.
His Eminence Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou is known to abstain from concelebrations with the Cypriot primate, Archbishop Georgios of Paphos, because he supports the canonical Metropolitan of Kiev, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev. His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos authored a canonical study showing the impossibility of communion with the schismatics and has shown no signs of changing his stance.
And now it seems the new bishop of Paphos, who was elected to the See when the previous hierarch became the new primate following the repose of Archbishop Chrysostomos in November, is also against the commemoration of the schismatics.
According to reports from numerous Greek outlets, Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos, who was enthroned in March, has refused to serve with Abp. Georgios on two occasions now, which has greatly angered the Cypriot primate, who is a fervent supporter of the Ukrainian schismatics.
As Hellas Journal reports, Abp. Georgios has characterized the Metropolitan of Paphos’ stance as “childish.” Epiphany of Kiev was commemorated on the day that Met. Tychikos was consecrated as a bishop, so how can he reject Epiphany now, the Archbishop wonders.
The same outlet notes that the two hierarchs are otherwise known to have excellent relations, and that Met. Tychikos is even the spiritual child of Abp. Georgios and served as protosyngelos in the Metropolis of Paphos during the Archbishop’s time there.
Abp. Georgios says he is determined not to allow a schism in the Church of Cyprus.
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