Cypriot bishop: God values repentant sinners more than self-righteous saints

Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol. Photo: Vimaorthodoxias

On August 6, 2026, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol stated that the Church is called first and foremost to teach a person repentance, rather than to demonstrate his moral perfection, reports Vimaorthodoxias.

The hierarch noted that believers are often asked how people who belong to the Church can commit wrongful and even grave acts. “Yes, we belong to the Church, and we commit very shameful and, at times, simply terrible acts,” the bishop said.

According to Metropolitan Athanasius, the Church should not be viewed as an “institution of morality” or a community of flawless people. “The Church is a place where we are called, above all, to learn how to repent,” he emphasized. The Metropolitan explained that Christians should learn to recognize their own spiritual wounds and draw benefit even from their suffering and falls.

The hierarch stressed that belonging to the Church does not mean having moral superiority over others. The Church welcomes everyone and calls on people not to consider themselves spiritually successful, but to recognize their own sins and strive for inner change.

“A sinful person who repents and weeps over his sins and transgressions is more precious in the eyes of God than someone who considers himself a ‘saint’ and does not know what repentance means,” Metropolitan Athanasius concluded.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Cyprus authorities resumed financial support for the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

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