paphos bishop — Deposed Paphos bishop Tychikos has been hospitalised in Athens while attempting to make his way back to Cyprus from Istanbul, where he had appealed against his dismissal at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Cyprus News Agency reported that he is “facing a health problem” and underwent a series of tests, resulting in his admission to hospital. Tychikos reportedly “did not feel well” during his journey from Istanbul to Athens.
Members of the Cyprus Holy Synod have been informed that they can contact doctors for updates on Tychikos’ condition. Christos Efstathiou, the press spokesman for the Archdiocese of Cyprus, stated that the Holy Synod and Archbishop Georgios were not aware of Tychikos’ hospitalisation. He noted that had they been informed sooner, they would have offered support for his recovery.
Tychikos had travelled to Istanbul to appeal against his removal from duties by the Holy Synod. His lawyer, Evangelia Poulla, described the decision made by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as “unacceptable to say the least” and “inconceivable”, claiming it was one of the most unjust decisions they had encountered.
In a statement, Efstathiou indicated that the unanimous decision from the Ecumenical Patriarchate sends a clear message. The Holy Synod had voted on May 22 to relieve Tychikos of his official status by a margin of ten to six, citing various breaches of church protocol. One specific charge involved showcasing an icon of a saint not canonised by the Church.
Despite this, church secretary Georgios Christodoulou clarified that Tychikos would still retain his title as bishop and remain a member of the Holy Synod, although he would no longer hold administrative responsibilities.
The relationship between Tychikos and the archbishop has been fraught in the past, particularly over Tychikos’ refusal to allow the relic of Apostle Paul’s skull to be brought from the Vatican City to Cyprus. His rationale was that Pope Francis was considered “a heretic”.
Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos voiced his frustrations, stating that the municipality had endured “trying and unbecoming behaviours” from Tychikos over the years. He mentioned that Tychikos had taken legal action against the municipality without prior notice and had obstructed communication by locking offices and ignoring phone calls, attributing the lack of contact to a “spiritual retreat”.
