The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus considers changes to the Statute on the Election of Bishops

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus has begun a three-day session chaired by His Beatitude Archbishop George of Cyprus, during which it is planned to approve key amendments to the Church’s Statute. The main innovation may be a change in the procedure for electing hierarchs, excluding the participation of the faithful in the process.

According to the Greek Orthodoxia News Agency, the Synod’s work will last from May 18 to 20. The main attention of the Synod members is focused on the results of the work of the specialized commission, which finalized the draft of the updated Statute. Earlier the text of the amendments has already been submitted to the hierarchs for preliminary familiarization.

According to the proposed changes, it is proposed to abolish the participation of laymen in the nomination of candidates for the posts of bishops and metropolitans. If this reform is approved, the election of new members of the Holy Synod will be carried out exclusively by the Synod itself. The measure will particularly affect the issue of succession in the Paphian cathedra, which has been vacant since the removal of Metropolitan Tychicus.

Archdiocese spokesman Christakis Evstathiou characterized the new Statutes as an extremely important document. According to him, the proposed reforms are aimed at minimizing social tensions, conflicts and manifestations of fanaticism, which often accompany public voting when choosing church leaders.

Recall, earlier we reported that a large-scale protest by supporters of Metropolitan Tychicus took place outside the Archdiocese of Cyprus, timed to coincide with the upcoming critical meeting of the Holy Synod. The demonstrators demanded the immediate return of the suspended hierarch to his duties and opposed proposed reforms to the Church’s Statutes.