Church limos head for upgrade

THE CHURCH is to fork out half a million pounds to overhaul its ageing fleet of limousines.

According to reports in yesterday’s Phileleftheros, the Mercs and BMWs used for driving around the Holy Fathers in style are getting on a bit, necessitating the massive investment by the wealthy Archbishopric.

“It is estimated that to cover the cost, the faithful flocking to churches will need to light around one million candles each worth 50 cents,” the article remarked.

According to the paper, the starting price for the new cars is £20,000, though in some cases the flashy vehicles could cost up to £50,000.

It is not clear whether the cars come with extra accessories, such as mini-bars or custom upholstery.

The daily said that Archbishop Chrysostomos II has kept the luxury Mercedes that belonged to his predecessor. However, other members of the Holy Synod are reportedly shopping on the internet or directly contacting the dealers.

The vast sum also has to do with the fact that the Holy Synod was recently expanded to include more members – and more bishops means more cars.

Phileleftheros said the bishops of Kyrenia and Paphos were using cars that were more than 10 years old. Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, one of the candidates for the top job in the last Church elections, also has a relatively old car and will probably have it replaced.

Athanassios of Limassol is more fortunate in that his automobile is relatively new, but of a lower engine capacity than most others.

At least two of the new bishops to enter the Holy Synod have already placed their orders.
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The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.