In the Church of Cyprus - a new round of confrontation around the Metropolis of Paphos

In the Paphos Metropolitanate of the Church of Cyprus, the locks of the diocesan office were changed in the presence of the police. This action was taken after Metropolitan Tychicus failed to hand over the keys to the metropolitan residence and chancery within the deadline set by Archbishop George, marking the next stage in a long-running ecclesiastical conflict.

According to Philenews, the incident took place at noon on January 29 when Paphos police officers arrived at the archdiocese building. A locksmith was called in to replace the locks on the entrances to the diocesan office. It is noted that the purpose of these measures is to ensure that only authorized persons and staff have access to the premises after hours. Metropolitan Tychicus was asked to be present during the procedure of opening the premises and to take away his personal belongings, if any.

Against the backdrop of these events, supporters of the hierarch gathered outside the Paphos Metropolitanate. According to Cypriot media, about 30 people came to support Metropolitan Tihikos. Some of them went inside the building, expressing verbal protest against the actions of the church leadership. Despite the heat of passion, the conflict, according to media reports, did not escalate into a physical confrontation. Police present at the scene did not request intervention.

These actions by Archbishop George are a continuation of a long-running confrontation related to the ouster of Metropolitan Tikhik. The conflict includes his appeals before ecclesiastical and secular authorities, as well as attempts to challenge the decisions of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which emphasizes the deep divisions within the Church hierarchy.

Recall, earlier we reported that the hierarch of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, suspended Metropolitan Tikhikos of Paphos, filed a new appeal to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, challenging the decision of the Synod of the Church of Cyprus to suspend him from ministry. In response, Archbishop George of Cyprus commented on the situation, expressing his opinion about the possible influence on Tychicus by third parties and calling his actions illogical. At the same time, the Paphos Metropolis is preparing to elect a new head, which, according to the new statutes, will be held without the participation of the laity.