Media: Archbishop of Cyprus blackmails Pat. Bartholomew with Onuphry mention

Archbishop Georgios and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: orthodoxia.info

The well-known Greek protopresbyter, missionary in Cameroon, and doctor, Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou, stated that Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus is blackmailing Patriarch Bartholomew with the commemoration of Metropolitan Onuphry. This was reported by the Greek website of the Union of Orthodox Journalists.

In his public speech on July 29, 2025, Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou made a statement concerning the case of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos.

Fr. Papanikolaou said, "It is being said in Cyprus that the great one [i.e., Archbishop Georgios] is saying: ‘If the Patriarch doesn’t issue the decision the way I want it, then I will commemorate Onuphrios.’ What wonderful ecclesiastical behavior! If this is the situation we are in…” 

The media writes that they would not have believed such a claim if it had not been publicly stated by Fr. Papanikolaou, who is considered highly credible.

"Unfortunately, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus – primarily responsible for discrediting the Holy Synod and for the crisis that has been tormenting the Church of Cyprus over the past two months, exposing it to the broader community of Orthodox Local Churches – has now realized that neither the process he followed in the unjust trial against Metropolitan Tychikos can be accepted, nor the flimsy and slanderous accusations against Tychikos can be sustained in the court of public opinion, let alone before the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarchal Synod."

Greek journalists also believe that "finding himself in a dead end due to his unacceptable behavior unbecoming of a Church Primate, Archbishop Georgios continues to act erratically:

– entered another ecclesiastical territory as a so-called "locum tenens," even though its canonical bishop is Metropolitan Tychikos until the Patriarchate decides otherwise;

– as “locum tenens,” he prohibits the canonical Metropolitan Tychikos from celebrating the liturgy in his own homeland;

– did not allow him to officiate even at his mother’s memorial service;

– cut his salary by 55% without a synodal decision;

– spreads lies and slander against his fellow bishop Tychikos wherever he goes, even in London, etc.

"Sadly, Archbishop Georgios not only fails to realize that this behavior irreparably damages his own image while elevating in the eyes of the faithful the wronged and slandered yet silent Hierarch Tychikos – he now engages in an entirely disgraceful and immoral act of blackmail, even against the Ecumenical Patriarch: 'Bartholomew, either you do as I wish and punish Tychikos, or I’ll stop commemorating Epiphaniy as Primate of Ukraine and will instead commemorate Onuphriy!'" write the journalists.

They also believe that As Fr. Evangelos indirectly reveals, Archbishop Georgios allows his associates to leak this blackmail so that he himself can later deny everything and boldly claim he never said any such thing.

At the same time, journalists assert, "the Ecumenical Patriarch not only does not succumb to such blackmail – such behavior brings precisely the opposite results."

"Never will the venerable Bartholomew—who has fought so hard to uphold the right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as the court of final appeal—now, after 34 years of patriarchy, cancel that right, discredit himself, and damage the prestige of the Ecumenical Throne by validating such an unacceptable, unconstitutional, and uncanonical process and decision against Metropolitan Tychikos," concluded the Greek journalists.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the choristers of Paphos in a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew supported Metropolitan Tychikos.

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