Archbishop of Cyprus laments world’s indifference to island occupation

Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On December 22, 2025, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus, in his Christmas address, said that Cyprus is marking Christmas for the fifty-second time under conditions of division and ongoing occupation, pointing to the indifference of the world’s leading powers to the fate of the island, reports Orthodoxia News Agency.

The Primate of the Church of Cyprus emphasized that even during the days of the great Christian feast, the people cannot detach their thoughts from the tragedy of their homeland. “Our thoughts and hearts cannot be torn away from our occupied land, from our silent churches today, from the drama of our homeland,” the Archbishop said.

Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus also criticized the stance of the international community, stating: “As we celebrate the fifty-second Christmas in a divided country and face the indifference of the powerful forces of the world, we are called to draw courage from the messages of this great feast and to rethink our dead-end course.”

Once again, the Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus warned of the threat of the island’s Turkification. According to him, the “comfortable temporariness” in which Cyprus has been forgotten, combined with delays in the process by Turkey and its aspiration to Turkify the whole of Cyprus, has brought society to the brink of catastrophe.

In conclusion, the Archbishop stressed that Cyprus will not accept decisions that threaten its national existence. “We will not accept a solution that endangers the survival of Hellenism in Cyprus,” he said, adding that any future settlement must guarantee Cypriots the same rights enjoyed by all citizens of the European Union.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that an exhibition featuring provocative depictions of Christ and the Mother of God was closed in Cyprus.

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