Nicosia, Cyprus. Archimandrite Gregorios Ioannides was formally inaugurated as the new bishop of Paphos on Thursday in Nicosia. He was elected during the divine liturgy at Saint Barnabas, marking the official start of his episcopal duties.
Inauguration and enthronement
Gregorios will be enthroned in Paphos later in the day. He had been selected as the new bishop of Paphos by the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus at the end of May, succeeding former bishop of Paphos Tychikos.
Planned protests
Supporters of Tychikos announced that they would hold a rally outside Saint Barnabas Church in Nicosia to protest Gregorios’ election as the new bishop. A further protest was also planned in Paphos.
Supreme Court ruling
Former Paphos bishop Tychikos secured a legal ruling on Wednesday after the Supreme Court granted him the right to pursue a challenge against the decision ratifying his removal from office.
Appeals court decision
In a unanimous ruling, the appeals court overturned part of an earlier judgment and granted Tychikos ten days to apply for permission to challenge the Holy Synod’s decision confirming his deposition as bishop of Paphos.
