Paphos Flock Accuses Archbishop of Creating “Spiritual Desert”

Photo: philenews.com

PAPHOS, CYPRUS — The faithful of Paphos have issued a strongly worded letter to Abp. Georgios, sharply criticizing his leadership of the Church of Cyprus and alleging serious canonical and institutional violations. The letter, titled “A Church Without a Synod? Canonical Deviation and Institutional Authoritarianism in the Church of Cyprus,” accuses the Archbishop of bypassing the Holy Synod and consolidating authority in ways that undermine Orthodox governance.

Central to the complaints is the proposed transfer of His Eminence Metr. Tychikos to the Archdiocese, where he would reportedly reside in the former suite of the late Abp. Chrysostomos and be assigned duties directly by the Archbishop. The faithful claim this would constitute an unprecedented canonical irregularity. As the letter states, “This is not a renewal. It is institutional and spiritual desertification” or barrenness. They warn that unilateral action by the Archbishop has created “personalized power” and effectively abolished synodality, undermining centuries of ecclesial tradition.

The letter also stresses the moral dimension of the dispute, noting that the Archbishop “acted as prosecutor, investigator, judge and ultimate beneficiary” in the case of Met. Tychikos. The authors conclude: “The Church of Cyprus is not anyone’s property. Nor a field of personal strategies. . . . The problem will be, if this course continues, with the Archbishop's arbitrariness.”

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Tychikos challenged the Synod while Cyprus planned for a new Metropolitan.

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