A new Metropolitan of Paphos has been elected in the Church of Cyprus

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus officially elected Archimandrite Gregory Ioannidis as the new Metropolitan of Paphos, completing the process of filling the vacant cathedra. The decision was made in a secret ballot of members of the synodal body, according to the results of which the future hierarch received the support of the majority of votes.

According to the Greek edition Orthodoxia.info with reference to official information from the secretary of the Holy Synod, George Christodoulou, Archimandrite Gregory received 11 votes. There were also 4 blank ballots and one vote for monk Sophronios Stasinos. The solemn enthronement of the new metropolitan is scheduled for June 11; the ceremony will take place at the Cathedral of St. Theodore.

The new head of the Paphos Metropolitanate has a deep academic background. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Athens, and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in liturgical studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. In addition, his academic career includes work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies at Harvard University, where he focused on the study of the Byzantine liturgical traditions of Cyprus from ancient manuscripts.

Gregory Ioannidis’ research activities are closely related to the history and theology of Christian worship. He is an active participant in international scholarly communities and has made a significant contribution to the preservation and restoration of the ecclesiastical heritage of the Metropolis of Trimiphunt. He beat out other contenders in the election, including Archimandrites John and John Theocharous.

Recall that former Metropolitan Tihikos of Paphos openly opposed the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, demanding that the process of electing a new hierarch to his former cathedra be suspended.