Paphos, Cyprus. Fresh elections to appoint a new Paphos bishop are now considered “inevitable,” according to reports on Friday citing ecclesiastical sources. The Cyprus News Agency said the church’s charter requires elections to fill the vacant seat.
Charter cited as requiring elections
The Cyprus News Agency reported that ecclesiastical sources said the church’s charter stipulates that elections be held to fill the throne in Paphos.
The sources were quoted as saying that, since the sentences imposed on former bishop Tychikos are in accordance with the current charter and were adopted by a majority of the Holy Synod, there is an obligation to hold elections to fill the seat in Paphos.
Limits on changing statutes
According to the report, changes to the church’s statutes can only be made when all 17 seats on the Holy Synod are filled, and with no bishop currently in Paphos, elections must be held under the current charter.
Any change would require three quarters, or 13, of the Holy Synod’s members to vote in favour.
Archbishop’s plan for future selections
The archbishop plans to change the statute after a new Paphos bishop is elected so that in future bishops would be selected by the Holy Synod rather than by churchgoers. The archbishop also suggested this could have been applied to replace Tychikos.
Tychikos dispute and protest at the bishopric
The call for elections comes with Tychikos remaining physically at the bishopric and demanding that police come with a warrant if they wish to search the premises, after Archbishop Georgios said police would arrive and conduct a search.
Tychikos said on Thursday that he keeps no personal belongings in either location and that, since he was relieved of his duties in May last year, he has been living elsewhere on the complex and not in the flat allocated to the serving bishop.
On Thursday afternoon, around 25 people held a small protest at the bishopric in support of Tychikos, chanting “Tychikos is worthy,” while one man was heard shouting back, “if he were worthy, he would have left”.
What do you think the elections process should prioritise in selecting the next Paphos bishop?
