Cyprus ex-bishop who indecently assaulted teen girl in 1981 gets suspended sentence
Nicosia, Cyprus AP A court in Cyprus on Thursday gave a former bishop in the Greek Orthodox Church to a 12-month suspended sentence after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl 42 years ago. In passing sentence, Larnaca District Court Judge Evie Efthymiou noted the severity of the offense but said she […]
Cyprus’ new Archbishop enthroned, no Russian clerics attend
Nicosia, CyprusAP The head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Church Archbishop Georgios formally assumed his new duties Sunday following an enthronement ceremony evoking the splendor of centuries of Byzantine tradition before an audience of clergy from around the world with the notable exception of the Russian church. Russian Patriarch Kirill sent no representatives at the St Barnabas […]
Cyprus Church picks theologian and chemistry teacher as new leader
Nicosia, CyprusReuters The Church of Cyprus’s ruling body on Saturday elected Georgios, a theologian and former chemistry teacher, as archbishop of the centuries-old church, replacing the late Chrysostomos II. Georgios, 73, will lead the Greek Orthodox Church, which has wide political and social influence on the east Mediterranean island and interests from real estate investments […]
Vote for me! Cyprus clerics scramble to get public vote
Nicosia, CyprusReuters Greek Cypriots went to the polls on Sunday in an electoral process for a new Archbishop to head an ancient church with modern interests from property management to breweries. The Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus is one of the few Orthodox Churches worldwide to recognise the independence of the fellow-Orthodox Church of Ukraine, […]
Cyprus Church leader Archbishop Chrysostomos II laid to rest
Nicosia, Cyprus AP Chrysostomos II, the leader of Cyprus’ Orthodox Church, was laid to rest Saturday with a ceremony that reflected centuries of ecclesiastical tradition, eulogised as his church’s greatest reformer and an outspoken fighter for his people. The spiritual head of the world’s 300 million Orthodox, Istanbul-based Patriarch Bartholomew, was dressed in resplendent Byzantine […]
Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II dies at 81
Nicosia, Cyprus AP Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the outspoken leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Christian Church whose forays into the country’s complex politics and finances fired up supporters and detractors alike, has died. He was 81. The state-run Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation reported his death Monday. Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II speaks to the media during […]
Families mourn as at least 76 die on Lebanon migrant boat
Tripoli, LebanonReuters At least 76 people died when the migrant boat they were aboard sank off the Syrian coast after sailing from Lebanon this week, the Lebanese transport minister said, as search operations continued on Friday. It marks the deadliest such voyage yet from Lebanon, where mounting economic desperation has led many to board often […]
A 500-year-old icon looted from divided Cyprus repatriated
Nicosia, Cyprus AP A 500-year-old Orthodox icon that was looted from a church in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus has been returned to the island. The icon of the Enthroned Christ, which Cyprus’ Antiquities Department dates to around the end of the 15th century to the early 16th century, was presented at a […]
UK man hands Cyprus Church icon taken by his officer father
Nicosia, Cyprus AP An 18th-century icon that a British officer spirited out of war-wracked Cyprus in 1974 was returned Wednesday to the island’s Orthodox Church by the officer’s son to reunite it with those “who really appreciate what it stands for”. A representative of the Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II received the icon during a ceremony […]
Cyprus Orthodox Archbishop suspends 12 unvaccinated priests
Nicosia, CyprusAP The head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Christian Church said Sunday that he will suspend a dozen priests from his diocese because they refused to heed his call to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Archbishop Chrystostomos II told state broadcaster CyBC that most of the priests are also theologians who have swayed some of the faithful […]