The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus has set tough conditions for the lifting of sanctions against former Metropolitan Tihikos of Paphos

The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus has clearly defined the conditions under which the ecclesiastical penalty imposed on the deposed Metropolitan Tikhikos of Paphos may be lifted. These conditions require him to take concrete and tangible actions concerning his attitude towards the Church and the Sacred Canons, as well as his behavior towards the ecclesiastical body. The main goal of the Synod is to restore canonical order, preserve the unity of the Church and stop actions that cause unrest and temptation among the faithful. This is reported by Orthodoxtimes.com.

The meeting of the Holy Synod, at which the issue of Metropolitan Tychicus was considered in depth, took place on Thursday, January 8, 2026, under the presidency of Archbishop George of Cyprus. This consideration followed the unanimous approval by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the decision of the Synod of the Church of Cyprus, adopted at its meeting of May 23, 2025.

During the meeting, the Holy Synod took into account the refusal of the former Metropolitan to fulfill the conditions established earlier, as well as the relevant exhortations of the Holy and Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Particular attention was paid to his unacceptable actions from the point of view of ecclesiastical ethos in resorting to civil courts, which is condemned by the Holy Canons. The unrest he was causing among the faithful through his statements and through a small group of «zealots» was also addressed. The Synod noted his attempt to create dissension among its members by treating differently those who supported him and those who supported his deposition.

Metropolitan Tychicus was required to fulfill the following conditions in order for the ecclesiastical penalty to be lifted:

• providing the specific confession of faith requested by the Holy Synod;
• withdrawal of his legal appeal or intention to appeal to the civil courts;
• condemnation of apoteichism (separation from the Church);
• accepting new responsibilities within the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus assigned by the Archbishop of Cyprus;
• the cessation of actions causing unrest and temptation within the Church.

As a reminder, Archbishop George of Cyprus summarized the year 2025 for the Church of Cyprus, calling the deposition of Metropolitan Tihikos of Paphos «a cure for bigotry». It is reported that this event was the biggest problem for Orthodoxy on the island, initiated by the «sick fanaticism» that attempted to infiltrate the Church structure.