Marathasa Valley, Cyprus, August 2, 2023
Photo: vema.com.au
Several hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus concelebrated with their primate Archbishop Georgios on Sunday, including some who had previously abstained from serving with him because he commemorates the schismatic “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko.
In June, it was reported that Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos, the newest bishop of the Cypriot Church, refused to serve with the Archbishop at least twice because of his communion with the Ukrainian schismatics.
Around the same time, Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos, previously one of a handful of Cypriot bishops who completely rejected communion with and the commemoration of the schismatics and even wrote an in-depth canonical explanation of why it’s impossible to have communion with the schismatics, said that while His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine is the canonical head of the Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, at the same time, the majority decision of the Cypriot Synod must be obeyed.
After the previous primate, Archbishop Chrysostomos, unilaterally decided to enter into communion with the schismatics, the Synod voted not to oppose his decision.
On Sunday, both Metropolitans Nikiforos and Tychikos concelebrated with Abp. Georgios, reports vema.com.au.
Also concelebrating were Metropolitans Athanasios of Limassol and Isaiah of Tamassos, both of whom previously took strong stands against the schismatics together with Met. Nikiforos. However, Met. Isaiah has completely changed his stance and now wholeheartedly embraces the schismatics, while Met. Athanasios takes a similar stance to that of Met. Nikiforos, saying the Synodal vote must be obeyed. He even said that had he been chosen as the next Cypriot primate, he too would have continued to commemorate the schismatics.
Additionally, Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe of the Patriarchate of Alexandria also concelebrated in the Divine Liturgy. He is perhaps the only Alexandrian hierarch to have vocally opposed the recognition of the schismatics.
Present but not concelebrating was Metropolitan Timothy of Bostra, the representative of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Cyprus, who has also spoken out against the schismatics many times.
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