Cypriot believers publish open letter in support of Metropolitan Tychikos

Believers in Cyprus supported Metropolitan Tychikos. Photo: Paphos Metropolis

A group of Orthodox believers in Cyprus has published an open letter-declaration in support of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos, addressed to the fullness of the Church of Cyprus – the clergy and laity. The document is signed by Chrysovalantis Besios.

In the appeal, the authors express their "deepest sympathy for the crisis that has befallen the venerable person of His Eminence, the former Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos", and declare their "unwavering spiritual support, based on the purity of the Holy Fathers' Tradition".

The laity emphasize that Metropolitan Tychikos's theological stance on issues of ecclesiological purity, especially regarding the texts of the 2016 Cretan Council, "represents a paternal confession and a call to sobriety". "The objection to the use of the term 'Church' in relation to heterodox communities is based on the unshakable dogmatic rule of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church", the letter states.

The authors compare the bishop’s stance to the feat of the confessors of the faith, recalling Saint Mark of Ephesus, who refused to accept the Union of Florence and preserved the purity of the Orthodox faith. “In the era of syncretic ecumenism, the defense of dogmatic strictness (akribeia) in the face of economy (ecclesiastical condescension) is the sacred duty of every hierarch and serves as a vivid example of resistance to the distortion of Orthodox consciousness,” the document emphasizes.

The faithful call upon the entire fullness of the Church to surround the suffering hierarch with prayer and love, referring to the words of St. Paisios of Mount Athos that the trials of the Church teach humility and true love. In conclusion, the authors address Metropolitan Tychikos: “We see in you a confessor of the faith and pray that the Lord may strengthen you in your continued ministry, which even in the absence of administrative authority remains a source of patristic teaching and spiritual testimony.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Tychikos was hospitalized.

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