Consecration of new metropolitan of Paphos held amid protests

The episcopal consecration of Gregorios Ioannidis. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On June 11, 2026, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus performed the episcopal consecration of Gregorios Ioannidis as the new Metropolitan of Paphos at the Cathedral of the Apostle Barnabas in Nicosia. Despite the official nature of the celebration, the event was overshadowed by protests from believers gathered near the southern entrance of the church, according to local media reports.

The faithful publicly expressed their disagreement with the Synod’s decision and interrupted the service with cries of “Axios?” and “Unworthy!” Tensions arose between participants in the ceremony and the protesters, after which the demonstrators left the cathedral. Supporters of Metropolitan Tychikos accused the leadership of the Church of Cyprus of deliberately violating the procedures for selecting a hierarch and ignoring the will of the people.

According to the protesters, the authorities disregarded numerous complaints and imposed on the community a candidate who promotes increased Catholic influence. Participants stressed that Metropolitan Tychikos remains faithful to Church traditions and, unlike supporters of the new course, did not accept the decisions of the Council of Crete.

“With this consecration, the Vatican has come much closer to us,” believers from Paphos declared. “It is now easier for Rome to control us and place its own people in the island’s most important see.” The faithful also noted that Metropolitan Tychikos, unlike the new appointees, had not entered into secret mixed marriages and had strictly adhered to canonical norms. The protesters called for an immediate return to compliance with Church statutes and legality.

In his address, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus sought to justify the hierarchs’ choice, offering words of encouragement to Gregory Ioannidis.

“We must uphold the course of struggle and liberation demanded both by justice and by our historical roots,” he said.

The archbishop called on the new metropolitan to resist national humiliation and to proclaim to the world that there is no room for further concessions on the Cyprus issue.

“The prayers of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will accompany you,” the head of the Church of Cyprus concluded.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Metropolitan Tychikos was evicted from the building of the Paphos Metropolis.

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