Deposed Paphos bishop ordered to leave flat, hand over keys

Deposed Paphos bishop Tychikos was on Wednesday ordered by Archbishop Georgios to leave the bishopric flat and hand over the keys to the bishopric by 10am on Thursday.

The order was made in a letter sent to Tychikos, which also informed him that the police will enter the flat and the bishop’s office “to record what is in there” two hours later at 12pm.

Tychikos was deposed from his role in May last year, with the Holy Synod voting by a ten to six margin to ratify Tychikos’ removal from his official status after he was charged with various breaches of church protocol, including showcasing an icon of a saint not canonised by the church.

Church secretary Georgios Christodoulou said at the time that “the Holy Synod decided that the aforementioned hierarchy shall remain a bishop of the Church of Cyprus and a member of the Holy Synod,” understood to mean he may retain the title, but that he has been relieved of his administrative duties.

The archbishop had previously clashed with Tychikos, notably over the latter’s refusal to allow the relic of Apostle Paul’s skull to be brought from the Vatican City to Cyprus on the principle that the late Pope Francis was “a heretic”.

The day after his dismissal, Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos had said his municipality had had to suffer “trying and unbecoming behaviours” on Tychikos’ part for years.

Phedonos said Tychikos had taken the municipality to court “without the courtesy of informing” them, and that he had obstructed all communication between the municipality and the bishopric by locking offices and refusing to answer telephone calls.

The reason given for the stonewalling was a “spiritual retreat”, Phedonos added.

Tychikos had then appealed against his dismissal at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, but was unsuccessful in his appeal.