Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou claims that Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus will commemorate Met. Onuphry of Kyiv (UOC) if Constantinople overturns controversial ruling on Met. Tychikos of Paphos.
NICOSIA — The well-known Greek protopresbyter, missionary in Cameroon, and doctor, Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou, stated that Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus is blackmailing Patriarch Bartholomew with the potential commemoration of Metropolitan Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This was reported by the Greek website of the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
In his public speech on July 29, 2025, Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou made a statement concerning the case of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos:
“It is being said in Cyprus that the great one [i.e., Archbishop Georgios] is saying: ‘If the Patriarch doesn’t issue the decision the way I want it, then I will commemorate Onuphrios.’ What wonderful ecclesiastical behavior! If this is the situation we are in…”
The comment was made in this video at the 24:30-24:55 mark.
The Greek media writes that they would not have believed such a claim if it had not been publicly stated by Fr. Papanikolaou, who is considered highly credible.
“Unfortunately, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus – primarily responsible for discrediting the Holy Synod and for the crisis that has been tormenting the Church of Cyprus over the past two months, exposing it to the broader community of Orthodox Local Churches – has now realized that neither the process he followed in the unjust trial against Metropolitan Tychikos can be accepted, nor the flimsy and slanderous accusations against Tychikos can be sustained in the court of public opinion, let alone before the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarchal Synod.”
Greek journalists also believe that “finding himself in a dead end due to his unacceptable behavior unbecoming of a Church Primate,” Archbishop Georgios continues to act erratically by:
- Entering another ecclesiastical territory as a so-called “locum tenens,” even though its canonical bishop is Metropolitan Tychikos until the Patriarchate decides otherwise;
- As “locum tenens,” he prohibits the canonical Metropolitan Tychikos from celebrating the liturgy in his own homeland;
- Did not allow him to officiate even at his mother’s memorial service;
- Cut his salary by 55% without a synodal decision;
- Spreads lies and slander against his fellow bishop Tychikos wherever he goes, even in London, etc.
“Sadly, Archbishop Georgios not only fails to realize that this behavior irreparably damages his own image while elevating in the eyes of the faithful the wronged and slandered yet silent Hierarch Tychikos – he now engages in an entirely disgraceful and immoral act of blackmail, even against the Ecumenical Patriarch: ‘Bartholomew, either you do as I wish and punish Tychikos, or I’ll stop commemorating Epiphany as Primate of Ukraine and will instead commemorate Onuphry!'” write the journalists.
They also believe that as Fr. Evangelos indirectly reveals, Archbishop Georgios allows his associates to leak this blackmail so that he himself can later deny everything and boldly claim he never said any such thing.
At the same time, journalists assert, “the Ecumenical Patriarch not only does not succumb to such blackmail – such behavior brings precisely the opposite results.”
“Never will the venerable Bartholomew—who has fought so hard to uphold the right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as the court of final appeal—now, after 34 years of patriarchy, cancel that right, discredit himself, and damage the prestige of the Ecumenical Throne by validating such an unacceptable, unconstitutional, and uncanonical process and decision against Metropolitan Tychikos,” concluded the Greek journalists.
Previously, UOJ reported that on the feast of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Cathedral of St. Barnabas the Apostle in Nicosia stood almost empty during the hierarchical Divine Liturgy presided over by Archbishop Georgios as the faithful protested.
““Never will the venerable Bartholomew—who has fought so hard to uphold the right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as the court of final appeal—now, after 34 years of patriarchy, cancel that right, discredit himself, and damage the prestige of the Ecumenical Throne by validating such an unacceptable, unconstitutional, and uncanonical process and decision against Metropolitan Tychikos,” concluded the Greek journalists.”
Venerable Bartholomew?
Discredit himself, and damage the prestige of the Ecumenical Throne?
Unacceptable, unconstitutional, and uncanonical process?
Hmmm all of the above are with a question mark as far as Ukraine is concerned so as far as I am concerned, Barto’s brain is missing some screws and because of his actions I question his mental state. He can make even more mistakes than the one he made in Ukraine, since Ukraine is a very BIG one that anyone can see it from a thousand miles away… except him! Everything else he does is highly questionable and most likely Ukraine will not be the only thing he failed in, and will go down in history as an “Unacceptable, unconstitutional, and uncanonical process”
Anyway, it’s about time everyone is commemorating Metr. Onuphry, he is the canonical leader of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Church of Cyprus leader made a mistake in starting to commemorate Epiphany, he is the “primate” of a hostile “church” that has stolen buildings.
First of all, “Commemorating Ounoufry” makes no sense because Ounoufry was never commemorated in the Diptychs, even prior to to Bartholomew granting a “tomos” to Epiphanios…
It would be more of a real threat to say that he would “stop commemorating Epiphanios”…perhaps that’s what Fr. Papanikolaou meant, but the “people” are misquoting?
Is Metropolitan Onuphry part of the Russian Church or not? If Cyprus starts commemorating Metropolitan Onuphry, it would at least call his bluff.
You may consider brushing up your knowledge on whose names exactly are traditionally commemorated in the Diptychs these days (and how, and by whom, and when), and then you will be able to answer your own question… the only hint I can provide to you is that Onuphry is not listed in those diptychs, and never was, even before the schism-creating “tomos” was “granted” to Epiphanios…
No. He is part of the UOC (Ukrainian Orthodox Church) and he is a Ukrainian citizen who was born in Ukraine. Stop being paranoid about the Russian Church. UOC do not commemorate Patr. Kiril, since the war started.
Markos, It makes no sense to me to commemorate Bartolomew either, because he is not an orthodox patriarch given all pain he caused, not to mention, he doesn’t even mention Christ in his speeches lately… Since the war started, the metropolitans and bishops of Ukraine commemorate Metr. Onuphry as their primate. I stand with them. Have you read any of Metr. Onuphry “speaches” compared to Barto’s speaches? If yes, I am sure you know Metr Onuphry mentions Christ with no prewritten notes, not trees and some other nonsense, and he keeps the UOC together, which only a holy man would be able to do in those trying times… We would not have and OC in Ukraine–the second largest OC–if it was not for Metr. Onuphry. He speaks in the spirit of the Holy Fathers, and from time to time, I do read what he speaks of. If he would speak about planting trees and other nonsense instead of Christ, I would stop reading what he says, as I did a long time ago stop reading about the stupid barto speaches which are always read, uninspiring, vague, nothing from the heart, and I do not feel the spirit of God in his words. It would be a complete waste of time… I dislike when an orthodox leader can’t put two words together and has to read everthing… As far as I am concerned, because of the war, Metr. Onuphry is the primate of UOC and it’s highest leader, and I am not the only one that fees this way. All UOC metropolitans and bishops commemorate him, not Patr. Kirill, again, because of the war. And if you are going to say this is against the cannons, please also consider how many cannons Barto broke, just to keep things straight and to be fair…
I serve an OCA parish. Obviously, at proscomedia, I commemorate the Metropolitan and Diocesan Bishop. In my private commemoration, I do not mention Bartholomew nor any other EP bishop. I used to remember the two US Ukrainian bishops;not anymore. At the Great Entrance, besides our hierarchy, I then mention Patriarch Theophil of Jerusalem and Patriarch John of Antioch and their suffering flocks in the Middle East; Patriarch Porfirije and his suffering flock in the Serbian homelands and Metropolitan Onufry and his suffering flock in Ukraine.
I do remember Bartholomew in my daily prayers. I pray that he will come to his senses along with those following him.
Also, Markos, it also makes NO sense to commemorate Epiphanios since he is not recognized by most of the other canonical OCs, and the only churches he has is the ones that he stole for UOC using violence and putting people in the hospital… What exactly is worth of commemoration?
I don’t disagree about Epiphanios…this matter has caused Schism. But that’s how the Uniate movement has operated since the days of the 4th Crusade…taking over church buildings by force, and removing clergy from their positions (or killing them), and then focusing on “absorbing” the population under their “spiritual control” forever… Even the British learned a thing or two about that…even in more recent history, it’s always all about how to best Divide (Religious/Political Schism) & Conquer, correct?
Yes, it is indeed very similar to the Uniate movement. and not in the spirit of God but worldly ambitions. When did Christ conquer temples by force? Beat up people to steal their temples? And if He did not, what god do they follow? No one should commemorate Epiphanios. He is a wolf in sheep clothing and his “church” is not orthodox, is not in the spirit of God. Onuphry is who the people follow, and the people know best. The Ukrainian metropolitans and faithful look up to him and speak highly of him. They follow Onuphry because he is a man of God. He will lead them out of this crisis like the good priests and bishops lead the Church out of the other crises eg. like during communism. Onuphry is the glue that keeps things together. So if anyone should be commemorated, it is him, not clown Epiphanius. Let’s be serious!
Archbishop Georgios is just another whack-a-doodle among the clueless Greeks. Cased closed.
This is rubbish!!! I can’t believe you Nick publishing this ! Are you serious comparing Tyhikos to the great Hierarchs ??? He dug his own grave!He is gone for good! Some of us who supported him realized very soon he was not suitable to be the Metropolitan of the most prestigious Metropolis of Cyprus, Paphos that is!
Where do you see a comparison with “Great Hierarchs”? Over the years I have heard much worse happening among the so-called leaders of our churches… one more backstabbing will surprise us? And yes the journalist is right, fr. Papanikolaou is trustworthy. This why I posted it.
Now we are curious…please explain what makes Tyhikos “not suitable”, since you are from that region…some explicit “local perspectives” and details that the media may not have covered would be helpful for the rest of us who may be geographically detached from the actual situation…thanks.