View source for Church of Cyprus

{{Short description|Christian Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction in Cyprus}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| icon                =
| icon_width          =
| icon_alt            =
| name                = Church of [[Cyprus]]
| native_name         = Εκκλησία της Κύπρου
| native_name_lang    = el
| image               = [[File:Church of Cyprus.svg|150px]]
| imagewidth          =
| caption             = [[Ecclesiastical heraldry|Coat of arms]] of the Church of Cyprus.
| abbreviation        =
| type                = [[Autocephaly]]
| main_classification = [[Christianity|Christian]]
| orientation         = [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]]
| theology            = [[Eastern Orthodox theology]]
| polity              = [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal]]
| leader_title1       = Primate
| leader_name1        = [[George of Paphos|George III]] 
| division_type2      = Monasteries
| division2           = 67
| language            = [[Koine Greek]]
| headquarters        = [[Nicosia]], [[Cyprus]]
| territory           = [[Cyprus]]
| founder             = [[Barnabas]] the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostle]]
| founded_date        = [[Roman Cyprus]]
| independence        = AD 431 or earlier
| recognition         = AD 431 ([[Council of Ephesus]]), AD 478 ([[Roman Empire]])
| members             = 838,897<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061029042008/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=22&IndexView=toc CNEWA - Orthodox Church of Cyprus]</ref>
| website             = {{official URL}}
}}

{{Eastern Orthodox Church sidebar|expanded=jurisdictions}}
[[File:Nicosia 01-2017 img09 StJohn the Apostle Church.jpg|thumb|[[St. John's Cathedral, Nicosia]]]]

The '''Church of Cyprus''' ({{langx|el|Ἐκκλησία τῆς Κύπρου|translit=Ekklisia tis Kyprou}}) is one of the [[autocephalous]] [[Greek Orthodox church]]es that form part of the communion of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. Based in [[Cyprus]], it is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches; it claims to have always been independent, although it may have been subject to the [[Church of Antioch]] before its autocephaly was recognized in 431 at the [[Council of Ephesus]]. The bishop of the ancient capital, [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]] (renamed ''Constantia'' by Emperor [[Constantius II]]) was constituted [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]] by Emperor [[Zeno (emperor)|Zeno]], with the title ''[[archbishop]]''.

==History==
===Roman era===
According to the [[Acts of the Apostles]], [[Paul of Tarsus]] converted the Roman [[Sergius Paulus|proconsul Sergius Paulus]], ({{bibleverse||Acts|13:6-12}}), making him the first Christian ruler, and thus [[Cyprus]] became the first country ruled by a Christian leader.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cyprus: An Island Rich in Christian Tradition|url=https://cnewa.org/magazine/cyprus-an-island-rich-in-christian-tradition-30082/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=CNEWA|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.impaphou.org/paphos_church_history.aspx|title=History of Church of Paphos|access-date=2021-04-23|website=www.impaphou.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Burkiewicz|first=Ł.|title=The beginnings of Christianity in Cyprus. Religious and cultural aspects|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316989681}}</ref>

A few of the bishops who helped spread Christianity on the island were [[Lazarus of Bethany|Lazarus]], the Bishop of [[Kition]], Herakleidios the Bishop of Tamasos, Avxivios the Bishop of Soloi, and Theodotos the Bishop of [[Kyrenia]].

Towards the end of the [[Christianity in the 4th century|fourth century]], Christianity had spread throughout the island. During this time [[Epiphanius of Salamis|St. Epiphanius]] was Archbishop. His seat was in Salamis, which was renamed Constantia.

===Byzantine era===
{{expand section|with=[[Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus#From prison to Cyprus]]|date=April 2025}}
This independent (autocephalous) position by ancient custom was recognized against the claims of the [[Patriarch of Antioch]], at the [[Council of Ephesus]] (431); it is unclear if the Church of Cyprus has always been independent or if it was once part of the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch|Church of Antioch]]. When the Patriarch of Antioch claimed the Church of Cyprus was under its jurisdiction, the Cypriot clergy denounced this before the Council of Ephesus. The Council ratified the autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus by a resolution which conditionally states: "If, as it is asserted in memorials and orally by the religious men who have come before the Council - it has not been a continuous ancient custom for the bishop of Antioch to hold ordinations in Cyprus, - the prelates of Cyprus shall enjoy, free from molestation and violence, their right to perform by themselves the ordination of bishops [for their island]". After the Council of Ephesus, the Church of Antioch never claimed  that Cyprus was under its jurisdiction.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Downey|first=Glanville|date=1958|title=The Claim of Antioch to Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Cyprus|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/985575|journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society|volume=102|issue=3|pages=224–228|jstor=985575|issn=0003-049X}}</ref> This independence was also recognized by an edict of [[Emperor Zeno]].

In 478, Archbishop [[Anthemios of Cyprus]] claimed that following a vision he had found the grave of Barnabas and his [[relic]]s. On the saint's chest rested a copy of the [[Gospel of Matthew]]. The church was thus able to send a cogent argument on its own behalf to the Emperor: the discovery of the relics of its reputed founder, Barnabas. Zeno confirmed the status of the Church of Cyprus and granted its Archbishop the "three privileges": namely to sign his name in an ink made [[vermilion]] by the addition of [[cinnabar]]; to wear [[tyrian purple]] instead of black [[cassock|robes]] under his [[vestment]]s; and to hold an imperial [[sceptre]] (i.e. a [[gilding|gilt]] staff of [[silver]], topped by a [[gold]] [[globus cruciger]]) instead of the regular episcopal [[crosier]].

Cyprus suffered greatly from Arab invasions in the following centuries, and during the reign of [[Justinian II]] the cities of Constantia, Kourion and [[Paphos]] were sacked. At the advice of the Emperor, the Archbishop fled to the [[Dardanelles]] along with the survivors, and established the city of Nova Justiniana ({{langx|el|Νέα Ιουστινιανή}}, ''Néa Iustinianē''), named after the Emperor, at [[Erdek]] near the city of [[Cyzicus]]. In 692 the [[Quinisext Council]] reconfirmed the status and privileges of the exiled Archbishop and in 698, when the Arabs were driven out of Cyprus, the Archbishop returned but retained the title of "'''Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus'''": a custom that, along with the "three privileges", continues to this day.

===Crusader era===
[[File:Agia Napa Monastery arcade.jpg|thumb|left|Ayia Napa Monastery]]

After the establishment of the [[Kingdom of Cyprus]], the Catholic kings gradually reduced the number of Orthodox bishops from 14 to 4 and forced those away from their towns. The archbishop was moved from Nicosia to the region of Solia, near [[Morphou]], the bishop of [[Larnaca]] was moved to the village of Lefkara etc. Each Orthodox bishop was under the Catholic bishop of the area. The Catholic Church tried on occasion to coax the Orthodox bishops to make concessions on the differences in doctrine and practices between the two churches, sometimes with threats and sometimes using violence and torture, as in the case of the 13 monks at [[Kantara monastery]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Moreover, the properties of many monasteries were confiscated. The persecutions, especially during the Frankish period, did not succeed in uprooting the faith of the [[Greek Cypriots]].

Despite initial frictions, the two churches gradually managed to coexist side by side peacefully. The local Orthodox Christians shared some of the benefits of the economic development of Cyprus and especially [[Famagusta]] at the time. The Orthodox cathedral of St George (known as ''Saint George of the Greeks'' – today in ruins) is almost as high and monumental as the nearby Catholic cathedral of [[Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque|St Nicholas]] (a mosque since 1571), and is also an example of an interesting fusion of gothic and Byzantine architecture.

The Franks were succeeded by the Venetians in 1489 without any significant change to the status of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

===Cypriot independence===
In 1950, [[Makarios III]] was elected Archbishop. While still Bishop of Kition he had demonstrated strong intellectual and national activity. In 1949 he founded the Apostle Varnavas Seminary, and in 1950 he organised the [[referendum]] on the Union (''[[Enosis]]'') between Cyprus and [[Greece]]. While archbishop he was the political leader of the [[EOKA]] liberation struggle in the years 1955–1959. The British exiled him to the [[Seychelles]] because of his activities.

In 1960, Archbishop Makarios III was elected President of the newly established republic of [[Cyprus]]. Disagreements of the other three bishops with Makarios led to the [[1972–73 Cypriot ecclesiastical coup attempt]]. Following the dethronement of the Bishops of Paphos, Kitium and [[Kyrenia]] for conspiring against Makarios, two new Bishoprics were created: the Bishopric of [[Limassol]] which was detached from the Bishopric of Kition, and the Bishopric of Morfou which was detached from the Bishopric of Kyrenia. The [[coup d'état]] of 15 July 1974 forced Archbishop Makarios III to leave the island. He returned in December 1974.

===Turkish invasion===
{{See also|Aydın Dikmen}}

The coup d'état was followed by the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish invasion]] of 20 July 1974 which significantly affected the church and its flock: as 35% of Cyprus' territory came under Turkish occupation, hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians were displaced and those that could not or did not want to leave (20,000 initially) faced oppression. As of May 2001 figures only 421 Greek Orthodox Cypriots and 155 [[Maronites]] remain in North Cyprus.

The destruction of Christian monuments was another important consequence.<ref name="Heritage">{{cite journal|title=An Introduction to the Issue of Preserving Cultural Heritage|journal=Brown Classical Journal|year=2003|first=Carolyn|last=Bachman|volume=15|url=https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Classics/bcj/15-Contents.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911085459/http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Classics/bcj/15-Contents.html|access-date=19 January 2010|archive-date=2006-09-11}}</ref> Churches containing Byzantine icons, frescoes and mosaics have been pillaged by antiquities dealers and sold on the black market. One of the most prominent cases of pillage was of the mosaics of [[Panagia]] of Kanakaria of the 6th century AD, which were finally returned to the Church of Cyprus, following rulings by federal courts in [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana|Indianapolis]] and [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit|Chicago]].<ref name="Court">{{cite journal|title=Autocephalous Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus v. Goldberg & Feldman Fine Arts, Inc.|journal=[[The American Journal of International Law]]|first=Christiane|last=Bourloyannis|author2=Virginia Morris|volume=86|issue=1|pages=128–133|doi=10.2307/2203143|jstor=2203143|date=January 1992|s2cid=147162639 }}</ref> In Northern Cyprus, there are 514 churches, chapels and monasteries, many of which were converted to mosques, museums or abandoned.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Morris|title=Shame of Cyprus' looted churches|date=2002-01-18|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1768274.stm|work=BBC|access-date=2007-01-29}}</ref>

===Recent events===
On 3 August 1977, [[Makarios III]] died and was succeeded by [[Chrysostomos I of Cyprus|Archbishop Chrysostomos I]]. In 1979, the new Statutory Charter of the Church of Cyprus was drawn up and approved replacing the old one of 1914.

In old age, Archbishop Chrysostomos suffered from Alzheimer's disease and was unable to carry out his duties for a number of years. In May 2006, [[Bartholomew I of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I]] chaired a broader meeting of church elders which called for Chrysostomos' "honorary removal".

Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Paphos, 65, was elected the new archbishop on 5 November 2006, after a long-running election campaign, becoming [[Chrysostomos II of Cyprus|Archbishop Chrysostomos II]], Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus.

After the death of [[Chrysostomos II of Cyprus|Chrysostomos II]], the [[2022 Cypriot archiepiscopal election]] was called to choose his successor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Στις 18 Δεκεμβρίου 2022 οι Αρχιεπισκοπικές εκλογές, για πρώτη φορά ψηφοδέλτιο |url=https://www.alphanews.live/cyprus/stis-18-dekembrioy-2022-oi-arhiepiskopikes-ekloges-gia-proti-fora-psifodeltio |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=AlphaNews.Live |date=14 November 2022 |language=el }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Archbishop elections on December 18 (Update 3) {{!}} Cyprus Mail|url=https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/11/14/karpasia-bishop-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-new-archbishop/|website=Cyprus Mail|date=14 November 2022 |language=en-GB|access-date=2022-11-15}}</ref>

==Administration and Holy Synod==
[[File:Nicosia 01-2017 img10 Archbishops Palace.jpg|thumb|[[Archbishop's Palace, Nicosia]]]]
The [[Holy Synod]] of the Church of Cyprus is the highest church authority in Cyprus. Its task is to examine and provide solutions on all issues concerning the Church of Cyprus. The head of the Holy Synod and of the Church of Cyprus is [[Georgios Papachrysostomou]], archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus. The Holy Synod regularly convenes on the [[Bright Week|first week]] after [[Easter]] and in the first fortnight of every February and September. It holds ''ad hoc'' sessions whenever deemed necessary, or when two of its members put forward a request.

===Metropolises and metropolitans===
*Metropolis of [[Paphos]] and [[Exarchate]] of [[Arsinoe (Southwest Cyprus)|Arsinoe]] and [[Petra tou Romiou|Romaeon]]: Tychikos (2023-2025)<ref>[https://orthochristian.com/169998.html]</ref>
*Metropolis of [[Kition]] and [[Exarchate]] of [[Larnaca]] and [[Pano Lefkara]]: Nectarios Spirou (2019–)
*Metropolis of [[Kyrenia]] and [[Exarchate]] of [[Lapithos]] and [[Karavas]]: Chrysostomos Kykkotis (2011–)<ref>[http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cna/2011/11-11-20.cna.html Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-11-20]</ref>
*Metropolis of [[Limassol]], [[Amathus]] and [[Kourion]]: Athanasios Nikolaou (1999–)
*Metropolis of [[Morphou]] and [[Soli, Cyprus|Soloi]]: [[Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou|Neophytos (Omiros) Masouras]] (1998–)
*Metropolis of [[Salamis, Cyprus|Constantia]] and [[Ammochostos]]: Vasileios Karayiannis (2007–)
*Metropolis of [[Kykkos Monastery|Kykkos]] and [[Battle of Tillyria|Tillyria]]: Nikiphoros Kykkotis (2007–)
*Metropolis of [[Tamassos]] and [[Pera Orinis|Oreini]]: Isaias Kykkotis (2007–)
*Metropolis of [[Trimithous]]: Varnavas Stavrovouniotis (2007–)

===Dioceses and bishops===
*Diocese of [[Karpasia (town)|Karpasia]]: Christophoros Tsiakas (2007–)
*Diocese of [[Arsinoe (Southwest Cyprus)|Arsinoe]]: Nektarios Spyrou (2008–)
*Diocese of [[Amathus]]: Nikolaos Xiouri (2007–)

===Titular dioceses and bishops===
*Diocese of [[Ledra]]: Epiphanios Mahairiotis (2007–)
*Diocese of [[Kythrea|Kytros]]: Leontios Englistriotis (2007–)
*Diocese of [[Nicosia|Neapolis]]: Porphyrios Mahairiotis (2007–)
*Diocese of [[Mesaoria]]: Grigorios Hatziouraniou (2008–)

{{See also|List of archbishops of Cyprus}}

==Religious sites in Cyprus==
*Nine Byzantine churches in the [http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus/troodos.html Troödos mountains] are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites, [http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus/gifs/troodos.gif pictured here].
*[[Kykkos Monastery]], guardians of the holy Kykkotissa Icon, an unusual representation of the infant Jesus kicking with joy on his mother's lap.
*Icons smuggled from the [https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/cyprusicons/ Bishopric of the Holy Metropolis of Kyrenia] and [https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/cyprusicons/ Church of Panaghia Asinou] in the northern Turkish-occupied part of the island were repatriated by a collector in the United States of America in 2007.
*Icons from [https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/cyprusicons/ Kalopanayiotis village] stolen even earlier, before the division of the island, have also been returned to the Church's custody.
*Some estimate that since 1974 looters have stripped an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 icons; several dozen major frescoes and mosaics dating from the sixth to the fifteenth century; and thousands of chalices, wooden carvings, crucifixes, and Bibles. Efforts by the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus to return some of these objects are described in a 1998 issue of [https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/cyprus/ Archeology] magazine but the majority remain lost.
*Churches in capital Nicosia such as Chrysaliniotissa ''Our Lady of the Golden Flax'', Panayia Chrysospiliotissa ''Our Lady of the Gold Cave'' and the [[Archangel Michael Trypiotis Church]], along with the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation, [http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus/nicosia.html listed for interested visitors]
*[http://kypros.org/Sxetikos/Monastiria/Contents.htm Monasteries] listed separately.

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
*[[Greek Orthodox Church]]
*[[Omega TV Cyprus]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
{{Refbegin|2}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Coureas|first=Nicholas|title=The Syrian Melkites of the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192–1474)|journal=Chronos: Revue d'Histoire de l'Université de Balamand|year=2019|volume=40|pages=75–94|url=https://corepaedia.pub/index.php/chronos/article/view/639/600|access-date=2021-02-24|archive-date=2021-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128015808/http://corepaedia.pub/index.php/chronos/article/view/639/600|url-status=dead}}
*{{Cite book|last=Kiminas|first=Demetrius|title=The Ecumenical Patriarchate: A History of Its Metropolitanates with Annotated Hierarch Catalogs|year=2009|publisher=Wildside Press LLC|isbn=9781434458766|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QLWqXrW2X-8C}}
*{{Cite book|last=Meyendorff|first=John|author-link=John Meyendorff|year=1989|title=Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450–680 A.D.|location=Crestwood, NY|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|isbn=9780881410563|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J_YAAAAMAAJ}}
*{{Cite book|last=Ostrogorsky|first=George|author-link=George Ostrogorsky|title=History of the Byzantine State|year=1956|location=Oxford|publisher=Basil Blackwell|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bt0_AAAAYAAJ}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Roudometof|first=Victor|title=The Transformation of Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastical Institutions in Cyprus, 1878–1931|journal=Chronos: Revue d'Histoire de l'Université de Balamand|year=2010|volume=22|pages=7–23|url=https://corepaedia.pub/index.php/chronos/article/view/446/414}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|el}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080415104925/http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/cyphome/govhome.nsf/LookupIDs/56EFF47249680FF2C2256AA2004554CC?OpenDocument&languageNo=1 Official Cypriot Government (about the Church of Cyprus)]
*Background on events curtailing [https://web.archive.org/web/20061029042008/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=22&IndexView=toc religious freedoms] and reports of signs of hope, such as the November 30, 1994 celebration of the Eucharist at St. Andrew monastery on the Karpas peninsula, the first event in the north in 20 years, from the CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association).
*[https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/toc/orthodox-church/the-autocephalous-churches/the-orthodox-church-of-cyprus/ Article on the Church of Cyprus by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Cyprus, Church of|volume=7|pages=701–702}}
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[[Category:Church of Cyprus]]
[[Category:Christianity in Cyprus]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodoxy in Cyprus]]
[[Category:National churches]]
[[Category:Members of the World Council of Churches]]
[[Category:Greek Orthodoxy by country|Cyprus]]
[[Category:Apostolic sees]]
[[Category:Nicosia]]