There was an intense verbal confrontation between Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and a journalist, shortly after the meeting of the Holy Synod during which they discussed the Ukrainian autocephaly issue and the commemoration of Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv as Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos explained in a statement the reason behind his proposal and his disagreement with the decision of Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, who decided to commemorate Metropolitan Epiphaniy, and the decision of the majority of the Holy Synod. He argued that it was a matter of faith and sacred rules and, therefore, the decision of the Holy Synod was not binding.
At one point, journalist Aristides Viketos told him that, in short, he was taking the same stance as the Moscow Patriarchate, provoking the reaction of the Metropolitan of Kykkos, who asked him to let him speak.
As the Metropolitan was leaving, the journalist told him that he was distorting things and asked him whether he aspired to become like “Mark of Ephesus”. “Shut up!,” the Metropolitan of Kykkos said, provoking a strong reaction from the journalist who asked him to speak more nicely. Metropolitan Nikiforos then deemed the journalist as “vulgar” and “dishonourable” and asked him not to intervene.
It is noteworthy that shortly after the Metropolitan of Kykkos speaking to AlphaNews.live apologised and said that there was no excuse for his behaviour.
“I apologise to the whole world. This was not me. This was not how I behave in the Church. I am not making excuses because no matter what happened I should not have behaved like that. But in the heat of the debate, I lost my temper. I apologise to everyone,” he said.
