The faithful of Paphos have spoken out in defense of Metropolitan Tychicus, accusing the Archbishop of Cyprus of violating canons

A group of faithful from Paphos, Cyprus, has issued a strong public statement in defense of His Eminence Metropolitan Tihikos, who was removed from the Paphos Diocese last year and later banned from ministry. The authors of the statement accuse the leadership of the Church of Cyprus, in particular Archbishop George, of serious canonical and institutional violations, including unilateral actions to bypass the Holy Synod and an attempt to downgrade the ruling Metropolitan to a subordinate role. The faithful warn of the risk of long-term institutional and spiritual damage to the Church.

According to ΑΚΤΙΝΕΣ, the statement, entitled «A Church without a Synod? Canonical Deviation and Institutional Authoritarianism in the Church of Cyprus,» claims that Archbishop George has acted unilaterally for months, ignoring the Holy Synod and undermining the cathedral system of governance that defines Orthodox ecclesiology.

Central to their complaint is the reported proposal to transfer Metropolitan Tychicus to the Archdiocese, to be located in the former residence of the late Archbishop Chrysostomos, with the Archbishop assuming his duties directly. According to the statement, such a move would amount to an unprecedented canonical irregularity, effectively relegating the ruling Metropolitan to a subordinate role.

The faithful argue that Orthodox canon law, citing the 34th Apostolic Rule, explicitly forbids sole action by a primate without a Synod, just as it forbids the Synod from acting without its primate. They declare that decisions announced and implemented by one person are «personalized authority» and not synodal governance.

The text also raises institutional issues, noting that the Church’s statutes provide for auxiliary bishops to support the Archbishop, a role which has already been filled. Assigning «duties» to the Metropolitan, they argue, is both unnecessary and irregular. In addition to procedural issues, the statement accuses the Archbishop of playing multiple roles in the case against Metropolitan Tychicus — prosecutor, investigator, judge and beneficiary — casting doubt on claims that the proposed transfer was intended to offer him «protection.»

The authors conclude, warning that continued unilateral action risks long-term institutional and spiritual damage. «The Church of Cyprus is no one’s property,» the statement reads, adding that the problem, in their view, is not Metropolitan Paphos, but the direction in which the Church itself is being led. The statement is collectively signed as «The People of Paphos».

As a reminder, we reported earlier that Metropolitan Tihik of Paphos left his pulpit and residence, leaving his keys at the door, following an ultimatum from Archbishop George, who threatened police intervention. The event is the culmination of a protracted ecclesiastical dispute in Cyprus.