Theologian Calls Met Tychikos Case An Example Of "A World Turned Upside Down."
A Greek analyst has accused the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus of uncanonical deposition of a bishop for his fidelity to Orthodoxy.
GREECE—Greek Master of Theology Ioannis Markas has published an in-depth analysis of the case of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos for UOJ-Greece, calling his removal an example of a “theological world turned upside down,” where Orthodox hierarchs are punished for their fidelity to the canons.
In the article, Markas argues that Metropolitan Tychikos was unlawfully deposed for refusing to participate in ecumenical events and for resisting “Christian modernism.” According to the author, the bishop became the victim of a “months-long slander campaign” orchestrated by both ecclesiastical and political circles.
The central episode in the conflict, according to Markas, was the metropolitan’s refusal to take part in joint Orthodox-Catholic events in Paphos related to the transfer of the relics of the Apostle Paul from Rome to Cyprus. Markas interprets this as a principled stand on matters of faith.
He criticizes contemporary Orthodox primates for what he describes as “intense trends of secularization and apostasy” tied to “the pan-heresy project of ecumenism.” Many bishops, he says, have become “hireling Latin-fronts,” having forgotten their vocation as guardians of the faith.
Markas reserves particular criticism for the modern conception of the bishop as a “dependent institutional mechanism of the state,” functioning as an administrator and conforming to protocols of political correctness. In contrast, he presents Metropolitan Tychikos as a true spiritual shepherd.
The article cites official sources showing opposition to the metropolitan from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of Greece, Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis, and the Greek government—interpreted as evidence of a coordinated campaign.
Markas quotes St. Justin Popovich: “True and consistent Orthodox Christians do not, under any circumstances, enter into mixed marriages, nor do they associate with heretics and unbelievers.” He sees this as the foundation of Metropolitan Tychikos’s uncompromising stance.
He accuses the bishop’s detractors of distorting several Holy Canons, presenting the metropolitan’s integrity as a breach of ecclesiastical discipline—a move he calls a “turning inside out” of canonical law.
The author warns that violating the Holy Canons risks committing “a mortal and unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” Since the canons were established by the Holy Spirit, he insists, they are immutable.
Markas frames the case of Metropolitan Tychikos as part of a broader crisis in modern Orthodoxy, where traditional values are under siege from ecumenist trends. He calls for a return to patristic tradition and canonical rigor.
In conclusion, he expresses hope that the Lord will strengthen Metropolitan Tychikos “on the path of confessing the faith,” emphasizing his role as a confessor of Orthodoxy in the contemporary world.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Greek lawyer called the deposition of the Bishop of Paphos an act of totalitarianism.
