Protests outside the residence of the Archbishop of Cyprus: supporters of Metropolitan Tikhikos demand the preservation of the rights of the laity and the restoration of the hierarchy

A large-scale protest by supporters of Metropolitan Tikhikos took place outside the Archdiocese of Cyprus in conjunction with the upcoming critical meeting of the Holy Synod. The demonstrators demanded the immediate return of the suspended hierarch to his duties and spoke out against proposed reforms to the Church’s Statutes.

According to the Orthodoxia.info news portal, the protesters called the Metropolitan’s removal from the See of Paphos «unlawful.» The assembly was accompanied by slogans against the current Archbishop of Cyprus and demands for his resignation. The main demand of the activists was the preservation of the sacred right to vote of the laity and the prevention of changes to the current Statutes of the Church.

The unrest comes just days before the three-day session of the Synod, which starts next Monday. The main item on the agenda will be the approval of a new version of the Statutes, involving a change in the procedure for electing bishops. The key innovation is that the election of hierarchs will now be conducted exclusively by members of the Synod, completely excluding the participation of the flock. It is expected that this mechanism will be used in the near future to determine the successor to the vacant cathedra in Paphos.