PHOTO: The Archbishop of Cyprus demanded that Tychikos evacuate the premises of the Metropolis…
In light of the first public statements by Archimandrite Gregory (specifically that “his doors are open”) and the discussion that has emerged regarding developments in the Holy Metropolis of Paphos, the following letter-intervention is being published. It expresses the concerns and positions of faithful believers who continue to recognize Metropolitan Tychikos as their spiritual shepherd.
The text reflects the prevailing atmosphere within part of the church community in Paphos, focusing primarily on pastoral acceptance, the relationship of trust with the people, and the reaction to recent ecclesiastical developments.
The full letter follows:
“Open doors are not enough when the people do not recognize their shepherd”
Archimandrite Gregory,
From your very first public statements, you chose to declare that “my door will be open to everyone.”
However, in Paphos, there is a deeper question that remains unanswered:
Who exactly is being invited to walk through that door?
Because open doors, by themselves, do not create trust. They do not generate acceptance. They do not establish a pastoral relationship.
The people are not seeking access to offices.
They are seeking a shepherd.
And for a large portion of the faithful in Paphos, that shepherd already exists: Tychikos.
A man who lived among his people. Who was present in the parishes, schools, institutions, and villages, standing beside the sick, the poor, and those who were suffering. He never needed to proclaim “open doors,” because he himself was present outside them—in the everyday life of his flock.
This is also why many chose him in their hearts as their rightful shepherd and why they continue to recognize him as such.
You, by contrast, appeared through a process that a large portion of the people viewed as rushed and prearranged. You came with prepared statements and the image of someone who already knew the role he was about to assume, yet without first securing acceptance from the local ecclesiastical conscience.
And thus the divide was created.
For the Church does not function solely through formal procedures, but also through the hearts of its people.
Tychikos was elected and recognized by the Synod and embraced by the people. You, in the eyes of many, appear to be the choice of mechanisms and institutional balances, lacking the element of genuine acceptance by the flock of Paphos.
That is why trust is absent.
And when trust is absent, even the most beautiful phrases – such as “open doors” – sound hollow.
The people are not asking for accessibility. They are asking for pastoral authenticity.
And authenticity cannot be imposed.
Today, many faithful believers express deep disappointment, believing that this change did not arise from a spiritual need of the Church, but from ecclesiastical maneuvers that ignored the conscience of the local community.
That is why the reaction has been strong, even sharp, as many feel that their shepherd has been set aside.
Not because they reject the Church, but because of their love for the one they regard as their shepherd.
And in the face of this atmosphere, trust cannot be requested through words.
It must be earned through presence, time, and truth.
Final Position of the Faithful
For many in Paphos, the position is clear: the people of the Metropolis already have a shepherd, and they recognize him in the person of Tychikos. They do not accept you as their spiritual father, nor do they recognize your appointment as a pastoral ministry.
Paphos does not seek another shepherd. It does not await another bishop. And it will not change its conscience because of statements about “open doors.”
Acceptance cannot be imposed; it must be earned. And at this moment, for a large portion of the people, you remain outside that acceptance.
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A COMMENT BY ORTHODOXOS TYPOS: He Is Being Persecuted Because He Confesses the Faith – Tychikos of Orthodoxy
Posted on May 23, 2025
In an era when the Church is being tested by modernist trends and manifestations of ecumenism, the stance of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos stands out as a voice of uncompromising Orthodoxy. His Eminence chooses to walk the path of the Patristic Faith and theological consistency, honoring the ethos of the Church as reflected in the lives and works of the Holy Fathers.
Metropolitan Tychikos maintains that every person entering the Orthodox Church must receive Holy Baptism, since outside the Church there is no valid sacrament. The practice of the Church accepting the “baptism” of heretics through chrismation, when a canonical baptism within the Church has not previously taken place, has no Patristic foundation. It is an act of oikonomia (ecclesiastical accommodation) intended for exceptional circumstances, which, unfortunately, today is often treated as the norm.
The message of Metropolitan Tychikos to his flock is clear, simple, and Patristic. He does not seek to please the many, but to save souls. He teaches the faith not through innovations or pseudo-theologies of a “post-patristic” form, but on the basis of the Holy Fathers—and this is the reason he is being persecuted. Just like every Orthodox hierarch who dares to raise his voice within an ecclesiastical order that often tries to balance between the Church and the world.
Metropolitan Tychikos does not need a defense. He needs support. And all those who love the Orthodox Church ought to stand by his side, out of respect for the voice of Truth that still insists on being heard in our days.
If there is anyone who should be called to account today, it is not Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos, but those who commemorate the schismatics of Ukraine and who are following a post-patristic path of clear ecclesiological deviation. These are manifestations of the all-encompassing heresy of Ecumenism—the theory that the Orthodox Church is merely one “branch” among other “Christian churches.”
