Church of Cyprus Defrocks Priest Amid Mounting Ecclesiastical Tensions

NICOSIA — On June 20, 2025, the Synodal Court of the Church of Cyprus announced the defrocking of Father Dimos Serkelidis, a priest of the Metropolis of Paphos, following a unanimous verdict by the ecclesiastical tribunal. The court convened under Metropolitan Nektarios of Kition at the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus, where charges against Serkelidis were reviewed and both sides presented arguments.

The court’s secretariat stated that the ruling was made “in accordance with the Divine and Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church and the provisions of the Statutory Charter of the Church of Cyprus.” The decision comes less than one month after Serkelidis's May 30th suspension, though he has remains vocal in contesting the process and theology behind the accusations.

The case has unfolded amidst rising tensions within the Cypriot Church. A separate complaint filed by another priest on June 6 accuses Archbishop George of Cyprus of “ecclesiastical crimes” and calls for his defrocking.

The priest claims the complaint was never officially registered, raising concerns over due-process and transparency.

In public statements, Fr. Serkelidis questioned the Synod’s interpretation of ecclesiastical boundaries and doctrine, specifically their definitions of schism, heresy, and zealotry, all of which he was charged with. He was quoted as saying, “The boundaries of the Church are not defined by the current Holy Synod but by the doctrines and canons.”

The controversy is tied to the highly controversial removal of Metropolitan Tykhikos of Paphos, whose appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate claims clear canonical violations by Archbishop George and the Church of Cyprus.

Serkelidis compared the situation to a political upheaval, stating, “After a coup comes an invasion.”

The developments point to deepening rifts within the Church hierarchy over authority, ecclesiology, and canonical governance.

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