BISHOP Chrysostomos of Paphos sparked outrage from his rivals yesterday as he refused to name the ex-officio clerics who will have a key role in the election of a new Archbishop on November 4.
Chrysostomos’ decision has caused an outcry in the camp of Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, who is accusing the Bishop of Paphos of tampering with the election with actions that run counter to Church legislation.
Yesterday, Chrysostomos, himself a candidate but also the Church caretaker overseeing the elections, has informed the Holy Synod that he would name the representatives on the day of the election, adding that any objections would be discussed on the same day.
In order for a candidate to win, he must secure more than 50 per cent of the votes in two ballots, that of ex-officio clerics and that of 100 electors appointed as a result of a popular vote.
The electors will take to the polls on November 4 at 10am to vote for the new Archbishop.
The members of the ex-officio body are picked from among the higher priesthood, designated monasteries and nunneries. The body also includes all the members of the Holy Synod.
The elections so far have seen the Bishops of Limassol and Kykkos running neck, with the Bishop of Paphos a distant third.
But the second round of elections gave no one candidate a majority among the 100 electors, paving the way for a possible striking of alliances.
His decision saw little if any agreement from the other Holy Synod members.
Nikiforos yesterday accused Chrysostomos of “parading a dictatorial and totalitarian mentality, while Bishop Neophytos of Morphou said Chrysostomos was playing “a childish game of not trusting his brothers in the clergy because his ego was hurt” – a dig at the fact that Chrysostomos is languishing behind Nikiforos of Kykkos and Athanassios of Limassol.
Chrysostomos says that the names have not been announced because some people are heaping pressure on the representatives and ex officio clerics to vote for a particular bishop, adding that he found it “proper not to announce their names today”.
The latest twist is just the latest controversy to have overshadowed the elections.
Despite his obvious interest in the process, it is Chrysostomos who ultimately decides who should be on the clerics’ body, with the Bishop of Paphos last week seen touring monasteries across the island to decide who is fit to vote.
According to Nikiforos, Chrysostomos and his followers have been selectively disqualifying certain nuns to prevent them from voting for him.
He cited one example, where two mothers superior were struck off the list because they were deemed to be “mentally unsound”.
In another alleged case of tampering, nuns from key monasteries affiliated to Nikiforos were barred from voting because they were supposedly “too old” to go to the polling station.
Under the Church charter, nuns who have mobility issues are allowed to designate another nun to vote in their place.
