On the morning of Saturday, December 24, 2022, following a Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Apostle Barnabas of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus and following a standard electoral procedure, in accordance with the new Statutory Law of the Church of Cyprus, the election of the former Metropolitan Georgios of Paphos to Archbishop of New Justiniana and all of Cyprus took place.
On this election, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem sent the following congratulatory Letter to the Archbishop-elect:
Your Beatitude Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, in Christ God, dearly beloved and profound brother and co-minister of Our Mediocrity Mr Georgios. Embracing Your Holy Beatitude in a holy kiss, we humbly invoke the supreme blessing.
With pleasure, we have been informed of the ascension of Your highly praised and widely studied Beatitude to the Archbishopric and National Throne of the Most Holy Apostolic Church of Cyprus in succession to the blessed Archbishop Chrysostomos.
We also make haste from thence, from the Holy Land, to heartily congratulate You and pray in the Grotto of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, for a blessed, fruitful and in the Holy Spirit governing, a hierarchical and pastoral ministry for the preservation of the sacred legacy of our Orthodox Faith and restoration of the unity of the people of long-suffering Cyprus.
At this time, when schisms and dissensions are shaking the unity of our One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church, every reasonable effort is required on the part of all the Primates of the local Orthodox brotherly Churches to ensure and preserve the God-ordered unity “that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Rom. 15:6).
Wherefore, congratulating You on the meritorious election of Your Beatitude to the Office of the Primate of the Church of the saint-bearing land of Cyprus and kissing You fraternally with a holy kiss, from the Most Sacred and God-receiving Grotto, we remain.
In the Holy City of Jerusalem, 11th of December 2022.
Your Holy Beatitude’s
Beloved brother in Christ
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
