Cyprus Times

Holy Synod to Restructure the Statutory Charter – Four Key Decisions

Published January 14, 2026, 12:11
Holy Synod to Restructure the Statutory Charter – Four Key Decisions

The Holy Synod is proceeding with a restructuring of the Statutory Charter of the Church of Cyprus due to ambiguities and difficulties in its application. A Committee consisting of members of the Holy Synod and specialized legal experts will be established for this purpose. At the same time, the locum tenens of the Archbishop in the Metropolis of Paphos is extended until the restructuring is completed. The Synod also decided that the sacraments performed by the defrocked monks of the Avvakoum Monastery are invalid and do not offer any sanctifying grace. In addition, the celebration of marriages is permitted during the Christmas fast until December 12th. Finally, the Synod approved the addition of a supplicatory hymn to the three stases of the Lamentations of Holy Week, due to the long-standing Cyprus problem. These decisions were made during an extraordinary session that concluded shortly after 1:30 PM.