Sigma Live

Discussions Underway for Changes to the Church of Cyprus Charter Following Tychikos Affair

Published January 15, 2026, 13:15
Discussions Underway for Changes to the Church of Cyprus Charter Following Tychikos Affair

Discussions are underway regarding potential changes to the Statutory Charter of the Church of Cyprus, although no final decisions have been made yet. The Holy Synod will initiate a consultation process to review proposals, prompted by the events following the removal of Bishop Tychikos. One area under consideration is altering the process for electing Metropolitans, potentially abolishing the 'Triptych' system and transferring authority to the Holy Synod, although the Synod already holds the final decision. The Church of Cyprus has traditionally had greater lay participation in its procedures compared to other Orthodox Churches. The changes being discussed also concern disciplinary procedures, clarifying that the Church does not have criminal jurisdiction but exercises internal disciplinary penalties. Legal expert Achilleas Stylianidis noted that the 2010 Statutory Charter had included strict criminal procedure rules, which proved difficult to implement in practice. The discussion about changes began after the recent events involving the former Metropolitan of Paphos, but it is considered positive to review the Church's statutory framework. It is emphasized that procedures should not be seen as static and that reviewing the Charter is a natural development, given the circumstances and the need to improve the operational aspects of the Church of Cyprus.