Former MEP and theologian Andreas Pitsillides called on Wednesday for the modernisation of the articles of association of the church.
Church procedures have come under the microscope this week after it became known that a priest who had been found guilty for the sexual harassment of one of his foster children – Eleni Frantzi – and who served 18 months in prison, was reinstated in his duties. Eleni Frantzi, 29, was found dead in her Nicosia home last Friday.
The church investigating committee ruled that the case should not also be tried before a church ‘court’.
Pitsillides told CyBC radio that bishops cannot carry out the work of the police or of judges and decide who is guilty or not based on “outdated rules” that require three witnesses to prove whether someone is guilty of an offence.
“Just because in this case there was only one witness, a child, was it right to go by ‘one witness equals no witness’?” Pitsillides asked.
Pitsillides said that the Cyprus church’s articles of association have no provisions stating that members of the clergy who receive a prison sentence by a court of law, are automatically defrocked. This, he said, is provided in the rules of other churches.
He said that Bishop of Tamassos, Isaias, under whom the priest is serving, referred the case twice before the Holy Synod. He said that the Holy Synod then referred the case to the five-member synod ‘court’ which is comprised of five members of the Holy Synod chosen each year through a draw, and who decide whether someone ought to be defrocked or not. But the investigation committee ruled that there were no indications to justify a ‘trial’ before the synod ‘court’.
Public outrage urged Archbishop Chrysostomos to declare he was in favour of the defrocking of the priest, but that Isaias wanted him acquitted. Isaias said that, on the contrary, it was he who had asked for the priest’s defrocking and refer him to the Holy Synod. He added that he would bring back the issue to the Holy Synod to reassess the decision.
But in a video released on social media, the priest is shown delivering a speech in church in the presence of Isaias after his release from prison. He thanked Isaias for “his fatherly love” and the other members of the Holy Synod for his reinstatement.
Pitsillides said that after the Holy Synod decided to reinstate the priest, the Bishop of Tamassos, had no other option but to give him duties but made sure he made no parish visits, or had any other responsibilities other than carry out liturgies.
He added that the Tamassos bishopric had offered Elena Frantzi all the support they could, including the medicines she needed, psychologists, but also material support.
