An incident between the former Metropolitan of Paphos, Tychikos, and Protosyncellus Ioannis Theocharous occurred on Sunday morning at the Church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas.
According to the complaint made by Protosyncellus Ioannis, the suspended Metropolitan appeared in the sanctuary of the church requesting to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Mr. Ioannis informed the former Metropolitan of Paphos, Tychikos, that he did not have the right to take part in the Divine Liturgy, as he is under suspension by decision of the Holy Synod, and asked him to leave so as not to place him in a difficult position.
According to the priest’s complaint, Mr. Tychikos reacted to the remark, and a verbal argument and physical altercation followed between the two.
The priest felt pain in his neck, where he had recently undergone surgery, and was transferred to Paphos Hospital to receive first aid. He then proceeded to file a written complaint with the Paphos Police Directorate.
Immediately afterward, Mr. Tychikos also went to the police station, where he filed a complaint for false accusation against the priest, claiming that the allegations made against him were fabricated.
For his part, the former Metropolitan, in a statement released through the law firm representing him, denied reports that he used violence. He emphasized that he went to the church solely to attend the Divine Liturgy and to pray, without intending to perform any sacrament or exercise any liturgical duties.
As stated in the announcement, “Tychikos, while he was praying, was obstructed by the Protosyncellus ,” who allegedly approached him inside the sanctuary, as claimed by the former Metropolitan’s side, “addressing remarks to him and interrupting his prayer.”
Furthermore, according to the claims of Tychikos’ side, the Protosyncellus “pulled him by the arm in order to remove him, which caused tension inside the church.”
According to the statement, the former Metropolitan “responded calmly, asking to continue his prayer, and then left the sanctuary and went to the chanters’ stand in order to avoid further escalation of the situation.”
The same statement also refers to an attempt to create impressions through claims of injury, which are not confirmed, as it is asserted that the Protosyncellus continued his duties normally during the Divine Liturgy.
Information from the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) states that both sides filed complaints with the police, while earlier the Protosyncellus had also visited the Accident and Emergency Department in Paphos for treatment due to injuries he claimed to have sustained.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
