Changes to the Church of Cyprus charter regarding episcopal elections

The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus has unanimously decided to amend its Church Charter, significantly altering the procedures for electing bishops. Dr. Ioannis Kastanas, a lecturer in Public Law at Neapolis University Pafos, stated that these changes limit the participation of the laity solely to the election of the Archbishop. Historically, the Church of Cyprus allowed lay involvement in the selection of all bishops, a tradition reaching back centuries. Kastanas noted that there is no singular system for episcopal elections within the Orthodox world, citing examples like the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem where lay participation is absent. He emphasized the necessity of implementing these changes in a spirit of unity. The decision was presented as a functional adjustment aimed at better serving the Church's objectives. Other methods for electing bishops continue to vary across different local Orthodox Churches.