Content of Paphos hierarch’s appeal to Constantinople revealed

Metropolitan Tychikos. Photo: UOJ

The UOJ has obtained the content of the appeal letter that Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos sent to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, contesting the legality of his removal by the Synod of the Church of Cyprus from the Paphos see.

The 28-page document contains a detailed account of procedural violations and a demand for reinstatement.

Essence of the appeal

In his appeal to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan Tychikos does not dispute the substance of the accusations but focuses entirely on violations of judicial procedure. He states he is ready to answer the accusations on their merits only if a lawful and canonical trial is held.

Key violations

According to the appeal, gross violations of church law and principles of a fair trial were committed during the handling of the case.

In the preliminary procedure:

• No investigation was conducted as required by the Charter of the Church of Cyprus;
• No investigative commission was formed to consider the charges;
• No investigator was appointed to conduct an inquiry;
• No formal indictment was drawn up;
• No ecclesiastical prosecutor was appointed.

In the trial itself:

• There was no formal status of the accused—Metropolitan Tychikos was simply invited to an “ordinary session of the Synod”
• No time was given to prepare a defense
• Case materials and documents with the charges were not provided
• No defense counsel was present
• No witnesses for either the prosecution or the defense were questioned
• Archbishop George simultaneously served as presiding judge, prosecutor, and witness

Procedural details

According to Metropolitan Tychikos, on 22 May 2025 he was invited to an “extraordinary session of the Synod” without any indication it would be a judicial proceeding.

Archbishop George read out 38 pages of “testimony” against him, referring to 20 documents that had not been provided either to Synod members or to the accused himself.

After a half-hour discussion held in his absence, the Synod decided to depose him by a vote of 10 to 6.

Violation of international norms

In the appeal, the Paphos hierarch points to a violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.

According to the Charter of the Church of Cyprus, ecclesiastical judicial proceedings must follow the norms of the criminal procedure of the Republic of Cyprus and international standards.

Public reaction

In his submission, Metropolitan Tychikos emphasized that public opinion in Cyprus is opposed to the Synod’s decision:

• 64.5% of respondents disagreed with the deposition of Tychikos (alphanews.live poll)
• 65% of respondents opposed the decision (omegalive poll)
• 7,000 signatures were collected against the Synod’s decision

Metropolitan Tychikos asks the Ecumenical Patriarch to:

• Annul the decision of the Church of Cyprus Synod of 22 May 2025
• Recognize the procedure as illegal and uncanonical
• Reinstate him as Metropolitan of Paphos

The document also includes a reference to Archbishop George’s claim that Metropolitan Tychikos had allegedly “spoken irreverently” about the Ecumenical Throne, citing a letter from Patriarch Bartholomew. However, Tychikos categorically denies these accusations, noting they were never included in the formal charges.

Ecclesiastical-legal context

According to Article 81 of the Charter of the Church of Cyprus, a hierarch sentenced to deposition has the right to appeal to Constantinople. Metropolitan Tychikos exercised this right within the 15-day period following the announcement of the decision.

As a reminder, Metropolitan Tychikos was elected to the Paphos see in March 2023, receiving support from 50.01% of the clergy of the metropolis. His conflict with Archbishop George began in 2024 and concerned issues of church policy and administrative decisions.

In summary, Metropolitan Tychikos writes:

“Since in both the preliminary procedure and the main procedure before the Holy Synod-Court virtually all provisions of the Church of Cyprus’s canonical process were violated, namely Articles 7, 14, 79 of the Charter and Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 26, 31, 33, 40 of Appendix B, II of the Charter;

• since in the conspiracy and intrigue against me Article 6 of the ECHR was trampled, as well as Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee a fair trial in a society governed by law—and all the more so in the Church of Christ;
• since the entire procedure followed to this day for my condemnation constitutes a disgrace for the Apostolic Church of Cyprus before the entire Orthodox world and the legal community in Cyprus, Greece, and abroad;
• since the procedure and the condemning decision are a direct insult to episcopal dignity and ministry;
• since the scandal to the faithful people of God in Cyprus and Greece, and gradually throughout the Orthodox world, is great;
• since the procedure undermines the trust and respect of ordinary people toward the hierarchy, with unpredictable consequences for maintaining the ecclesial unity of the Church of Cyprus;
• since I am timely submitting this appeal to the Chancellery of the Holy Synod in accordance with Article 81 of the Charter,

I hereby APPEAL through this present appeal letter under Article 81 of the Charter of the Church of Cyprus to the Ecumenical Throne against the Holy Synod assembled as a Court for hierarchs on 22 May 2025 and its decision, and I ask for the annulment of the entire procedure and condemning decision, as the provisions of the Charter and the norms of a fair trial and the defense of my rights as the accused were not observed either in the preliminary procedure or in the main procedure before the Holy Synod-Court, resulting in my unlawful and uncanonical deposition from the See of the Holy Metropolis of Paphos.

I also ask, as a consequence of the annulment of the above procedure and condemning decision, to be reinstated as the lawful Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Paphos.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Cypriot Metropolitan Tychikos had filed an appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

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