Church fights off new rumours about Archbishop’s health

THE CHURCH of Cyprus is bracing for a new round of strife as reports about the Archbishop’s poor health keep mounting.

Although unconfirmed, reports hold that 74-year-old Archbishop Chrysostomos is suffering either from heart problems or Alzheimer’s disease, which has allegedly been causing him memory problems.

Alithia reported yesterday that the Archbishop’s close associates had rejected the reports, claiming that Chrysostomos was fit as a fiddle.

Chrysostomos was yesterday afternoon expected to return from Greece, where he was admitted at the Onasio Heart Centre and given the all clear, his associates told Alithia.

But the Bishop Chrysostomos of Paphos said the Archbishop was suffering from memory lapses, noting they were not necessarily linked to his age.

The Bishop of Paphos said the Archbishop should be supported and helped by all high-ranking clerics to overcome the problems he faced.

Alithiasaid the Archbishop was visited in Athens by the Bishop of Kyrenia, who refused to comment on Chrysostomos’ health.

But, judging from the Church’s recent history of division and conspiracy, and the reports of bitter battles for his succession, many people are suspicious about the amount of support the bishops might offer an ailing Archbishop.

The Archbishop’s associates, who are reportedly always very careful with what they say, stress that Chrysostomos is not ready to abandon his position.

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.