THE COUNTDOWN to the nomination of the next Archbishop of Cyprus has begun, with the dauphins already trading tentative blows in what promises to be a fiercely contested election process.
Debate is currently raging over the “rules of engagement” that should prevail during the election campaign for the Archbishopric’s throne, slated to get under way sometime around March next year.
This weekend, acting Church leader Chrysostomos, the bishop of Paphos, said that elections should not degenerate into a media circus and that political parties should not be allowed to influence voters. He was understood to be hinting at the policies of other bishops seen as candidates for the top job, but stopped short of naming names.
“We must not chase after people or the politicians, pandering to them, sweet-talking them so they instruct people how to vote,” remarked the outspoken bishop.
“People should be left alone, as was always the case in the past,” he added.
But, as expected, his views were not shared by another prominent Church figure, Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, who said parties, as social organisations, had always played an important role in Archbishopric elections and the history of the Church of Cyprus.
All the classic signs of electioneering were there; until recently, the two aforementioned bishops were united in their plea for elections, arguing that the ailing Archbishop could no longer fulfill his duties and should be replaced. But now, with the elections looking increasingly likely, the two men are taking different paths.
Another proposal, put forward by the bishop of Kiti, is that the new Archbishop should be nominated through a draw; but this idea has been questioned by many quarters, arguing it contravenes the Church’s constitution and traditions.
Given the lack of agreement among Church leaders on the holding of elections, the Paphos bishop has announced the convening of a Major Synod early next year to resolve the matter. That synod will be attended by the 13 regular members of the Holy Synod, plus representatives from the patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch, and one representative from the Church of Greece.
According to the Church’s statute, elections comprise three stages; first, local parishes elect ‘Special Representatives’, who next nominate a limited number of ‘General Representatives’, or electors. Finally, these electors and an expanded Holy Synod vote separately. If a candidate gains the majority in both polls, then he is appointed Archbishop; if not, the two persons with the most votes stand against each other.
To be eligible as a candidate, a clergyman must be celibate and have a university degree, Not surprisingly, all the members of the Holy Synod automatically qualify to stand for elections.
According to the local press, the frontrunners are the bishops of Paphos, Larnaca and Limassol, although none of them have openly said they will stand for election. The three have often been at odds over the past two years.
As for the incumbent Primate, long since diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the Church constitution provides that, on his replacement he shall continue to receive an annual stipend and will be given accommodation in the Archbishopric’s premises.
