Greek legal expert: Deposition of Paphos bishop is an act of totalitarianism

Photo: Metropolitan Tychikos and Archbishop Georgios. Source: UOJ Greece

The deposition of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos by the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus has sparked harsh criticism from Greek legal expert and ecclesiastical analyst Kosmas-Sevastianos Gotsopoulos, who called the move an act of ecclesiastical totalitarianism in a public statement, reports UOJ Greece.

“This was not a trial – it was a premeditated and formal purge that even totalitarian regimes would envy,” Gotsopoulos stated after analyzing the deposition procedure.

According to the legal expert, the canonical process was grossly violated: there was no investigative committee, no formal indictment, no appointment of an ecclesiastical prosecutor, no witness examination, and no legal counsel or time given to the metropolitan to prepare his defense.

The analyst stressed that Metropolitan Tychikos was not removed for financial, moral, or doctrinal violations, but for his fidelity to Orthodox tradition.

“Metropolitan Tychikos was cast out for his consistency in Orthodox ecclesial order – because he refused to recognize or pray together with cardinals, an act incompatible with his ecclesiological conscience and sacred canons,” Gotsopoulos noted.

He voiced particular concern over Archbishop Georgios’s demand that Metropolitan Tychikos sign a “Confession of Faith” accepting the decisions of the 2016 Cretan Council and rejecting the canons of St. Photios and the example of the Holy Fathers.

“This demand amounts to institutional blackmail and directly threatens the freedom of ecclesiastical conscience and the canonical heritage of our Church,” he warned.

Gotsopoulos cautioned against the serious precedent now being set:

“The May 22, 2025 decision does not merely condemn Tychikos – it condemns the entire canonical order of the Church. This precedent could be used against any hierarch who dares to dissent or remain ecclesiologically faithful.”

In his view, the events in Cyprus go beyond the fate of individual persons and strike at the very core of ecclesiastical justice and the institutional integrity of the Church.

“We are witnessing a Church event that transcends personalities and encroaches upon the very principles of ecclesiastical justice,” he underscored.

Gotsopoulos urged the Church of Cyprus to reconsider its decision, warning that otherwise, “history will record not only the fall of one metropolitan, but the moral and institutional collapse of the Synod – the deposition of an entire Apostolic Church.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a protest was held in Paphos, Cyprus, against the removal of Metropolitan Tychikos.

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