Cypriot Holy Synod to revise church charter

The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus is scheduled to hold a three-day session from May 18 to 20 to review and approve a newly drafted Constitutional Charter. Spokesperson Christakis Efstathiou stated that the revision committee, composed of canon law experts and legal scholars, has completed its work. A primary proposed change is to elect bishops directly through the Holy Synod, eliminating the current 'triprosopo' (three-candidate) procedure. Church officials argue these changes aim to minimize internal tensions and public discord. Following the approval of the charter, the Church plans to initiate the election of a new Metropolitan of Paphos, which is expected to conclude by the end of May. Conversely, theologian Theodoros Kyriakou has criticized the lack of public transparency in the process, arguing that the faithful should be allowed to review and comment on the draft before it is finalized. The Synod previously reached a unanimous decision on the necessity of this restructuring due to identified ambiguities and implementation difficulties in the existing text.