Nicosia, Cyprus. The Church of Cyprus expects to elect a new Bishop of Paphos within three to four months, Archbishop Georgios said on Saturday. He said updated bylaws will simplify the voting process.
Timeline and election process
Georgios said that within “3-4 months” the new statute would be ready, after which elections would be held and the Holy Synod would convene to elect the new bishop. He said the new process “will have nothing to do with the previous ones,” and that tensions and confrontations that in the past created divisions, even among priests, would be avoided.
Candidacies
The archbishop said “those who want can be candidates,” submitting an application to the Holy Synod once the new regulation has been drawn up. He added that the Holy Synod “can take the pulse of the people and promote someone, without self-interest.”
Comments on former Bishop Tychikos
Referring to former Bishop Tychikos, who was removed from the Paphos bishopric at an emergency synod session in May 2025 following disputes over matters of church protocol, Georgios said Tychikos did not respond to the opportunity to sign the creed despite repeated appeals to both the civil court and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“We must have a little logic in us… when you do not accept the first decision, why do you appeal a second time?”, he said, adding that “we must be somewhat serious.”
Possibility of return and prestige of the Church
On the possibility of Tychikos’ return, Georgios said that “if he changes his attitude, there is a possibility that he can maintain his priestly office,” while warning that “if he continues the same, I do not see any other way out,” and expressing the view that “he is being led astray.”
The archbishop rejected accusations that the Church of Cyprus’ prestige had been harmed, saying that some had tried to lead it into schisms and that the Church reacted and prevented this. He said he believed the Church’s prestige had been raised, citing zealotry and attempts to exploit international ecclesiastical tensions.
What do you expect will change in the election of the new Bishop of Paphos under the updated bylaws?
