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Holy Synod: Considers Archbishop's Proposal for Election of Paphos Metropolitan Without Voter Participation

Published January 14, 2026, 05:15
Holy Synod: Considers Archbishop's Proposal for Election of Paphos Metropolitan Without Voter Participation

The Holy Synod is considering today Archbishop Georgios' proposal for the election of the Metropolitan of Paphos without the participation of voters. This proposal arises in view of the impending deposition of Metropolitan Tychikos. If the proposal is approved, the Holy Synod will directly elect the new Metropolitan, bypassing the process of voting by the faithful. If the proposal is rejected, the existing process with ballot boxes for the election of the new Metropolitan will be followed. There is a positive attitude from some hierarchs to avoid the controversies that usually arise in electoral contests. It is noted that the Archbishop's proposal for the deposition of Tychikos received 10 votes to 6, while the proposal for suspension received 11 votes. The Archbishop is seeking one additional vote to achieve the deposition. There are estimates that the proposal to exclude voters from the election of Metropolitans may gather broad majority in the Holy Synod, given that the dominant issue is the election of the Archbishop and the process for bishops is considered secondary. However, the outcome of the session remains uncertain.