EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis): Well, well, well… It looks like the hyper-active US Embassy in Nicosia did its “miracle” once again: The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus changed the rules in the middle of the game – very much like it is now the custom in the US elections. While in the last elections for Archbishop, non-citizens were allowed to vote, this time, this fact did not “fit the narrative,” and they were banned. Why? Because there are about 50,000 Russians (many of them non-citizens) living around Limassol and they would constitute “a problem.” They would vote overwhelmingly for Met. of Limassol Athanassios, who has declared that he opposes communion with the Ukrainian Schismatics, as the majority of Orthodoxy has done. Never mind Saint Paul’s declaration, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Political expediency comes first, while Saint Paul and Christian dogmas come last… Soon all these political calculations will be rendered meaningless as Epiphanios will be part of history and be known as “Epiphanios of No-Ukraine”…
These “miracles” are nothing new in Cyprus. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, as I was finishing my doctoral field research on Greek-Cypriot ethnic identity, I had to focus on a so-called “Neo-Cyprian” Association, established in the 1970s, that suggested, against all historical evidence, that the Greeks and Turks of Cyprus are of Phoenician descent. Never mind the 3,000-year-old presence of Greeks in Cyprus and the numerous studies of forced Islamization, the leftist-leaning “Neo-Cyprians” insisted on the “Phoenician” origins… Just a few years later, the expansion of DNA studies proved for all to see that the DNA of both Greeks and Turks of Cyprus is identical, and it is 100% Greek. But for a few decades, we had to suffer from the lies of the left and the political expediency they were serving…
Cyprus, the so-called “Island of Saints,” is truly an “Island of political miracles”, because of its unsurpassed geopolitical position…
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source – orthochristian.com
CYPRIOT SYNOD CHANGES STATUTES—NON-CITIZENS BANNED FROM VOTING FOR PRIMATE
Nicosia, Cyprus, November 29, 2022
Photo: Romfea
According to a decision by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus yesterday, non-Cypriot citizens are banned from voting in the upcoming elections for the next Church primate.
Previously, voting was open to all Orthodox Christians 18 years and older who had lived in Cyprus for at least one year and who had registered to vote.
However, the Synod decided yesterday, “due to unforeseen issues that have arisen and the exceeding of the established timetables,” to limit voting only to Cypriot citizens, “so that the elections could be held as soon as possible within the time limits provided by the statutes,” reports Romfea.
The change to the Church statutes could have an impact on the candidacy of His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, who is by far the favorite among the people. There is a sizable Russian population in Limassol of about 50,000 people, many of whom aren’t Cypriot citizens and thus aren’t allowed to vote.
The previous primate, Archbishop Chrysostomos, reposed in the Lord on November 7, and on December 18, the faithful will choose their three favorite candidates, whose names will then be put to a vote by the Holy Synod.
Met. Athanasios has severely criticized the previous Archbishop’s decision to enter into communion with the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” instead offering his continuing support to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (however, the Metropolitan did recently say that whoever becomes the next Archbishop should continue to commemorate the schismatic Epiphany Dumenko, because the Holy Synod eventually voted not to protest the Archbishop’s personal decision to recognize Dumenko).
The next favorite, Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos, previously criticized the recognition of the schismatics, but after visiting Patriarch Bartholomew in the Phanar a few months ago, he changed his mind and now supports Constantinople’s actions in Ukraine.
Other candidates, including Metropolitan Georgios of Paphos, who as the senior hierarch of the Church chaired the Synod session yesterday, and Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia, were much closer to Abp. Chrysostomos and wholeheartedly support the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Geez, someone is sure scared about things (potentially) not going their way!
I originally hoped Metropolitan Athanasios would be elected until he seems to have switched sides on the OCU. What is happening with bishops in Greece and Cyprus originally in favor of the legitimate Ukrainian Church switching and recognizing the OCU?
Apparently, they are all under heavy pressure… Take a look at the news – the Ukraine war is a cultural war and it is a WORLD WAR!!
I get that they are under pressure but they are obligated to defend the faith at all costs. The history of the Church is full of martyrs. Are the bishops in Greece and Cyprus expecting to be martyred if they defy Washington and the Phanar?
Saint Chrysostom of Smyrna and Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens stuck their necks out for moral reasons. Saint Chrysostom in particular died horribly for refusing to leave his flock. And these bishops today cannot stand up to the American government and Patriarch Bartholomew?
It is truly a dark time for Greek Orthodoxy when the Phanar and the Greek Archdiocese of America dictate to the Churches of Greece and Cyprus which were more solidly Orthodox and Greek.
I don’t believe the Church of Greece would have bowed to the Phanar or the Americans if Archbishops Serapheim or Christodoulos were alive.
Although in general he has been solid for a large part of his years of service, Met. Athanasios has been known to flip flop ask “political pressures” mount.
Nick…is there any way of finding out “who” exactly voted for this amendment and who did not? Did Athanasios vote against it?
This is a critical detail if we are to really understand if “they” have “leverage” on him, too…
Correct… Athanassios is from Vatopedi Monastery, known for flip-flops of all kinds and for political expediency. I think they operated a little place in Moscow at the same time as Abbot Efraim was visiting theUS, was meeting with the State Dept and with Karloutsos in the Hamptons.
Nt easy to find out who voted what…But I will try..
Excellent post Theodoros… really we are in dark times, look what Bart sent to America & all the heretic low lifes he picks as Archbishops? Totally Anaxios!
Met. Athansios would have been a great choice…had he not miraculously “caved” on the OCU issue.
May God grant that it be Met. Neophytos.
If the whole of Cyprus is to cave to schism, how will God repay this? Perhaps the same way as Ukraine and its schism…by invasion, a further takeover from the Turks.
Sadly, it’s hard to find bishops who are not “serving 2 masters” these days…they simply won’t be promoted to the episcopate if they don’t demonstrate a degree of “compromise”…
Even Kyrill in Moscow implemented a controversial compromise with Holy Communion in the midst of Covid, if you all can recall…
Of course, it’s just like how they “leverage” politicians…some “skeleton in the closet” is used by “the 2nd Master” as a “bargaining chip” to achieve “compromises”…
I won’t even go into the description of what the Nov. 26-27 issue of the Greek newspaper Μακελειο printed on the front page, about a reported “candidate for the episcopacy”…
It seems as though yet another Cypriot bishop has caved, Isaiah, who was previously a supporter of the canonical Ukrainian Church is now for the “OCU”