The Church of Cyprus was founded in AD 45 by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas, who was a Cypriot and is considered the founder of the Church of Cyprus, returned to the island with Mark the Evangelist in AD 50 and became, according to tradition, her first bishop. Barnabas was martyred in AD 57 at Salamis, where his tomb is.
Others also worked for the propagation and spread of Christianity in Cyprus :
Lazaros, Erakleidios, Mnason, Timon, Epaphras, Techikos, Nicanor...
The Church of Cyprus has always been autocephalous. The autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus was confirmed by the 3rd Ecumenical Synod, which met at Ephesus in AD 431. After the discovery of the remains of the Apostle Barnabas and the manuscript of the Gospel according to Matthew, the Archbishop of Cyprus, Anthimos, was awarded three imperial prerogatives by Zenon, Emperor of Byzantium : to sign in red ink, to wear a purple cope at religious ceremonies and to hold an imperial sceptre.
The Supreme Authority of the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus is the Holy Synod, which looks into and solves all matters which are its concern. The Holy Synod today is made up of His Beatitude the Archbishop, President, and the Metropolitans of Paphos, Kition, Kyrenia, Limassol and Morphou, and the Right Reverends Bishops of Salamis, Tremithus and Arsinoe, members.
ARCHBISHOPRIC OF CYPRUS
His Beatitude the Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II, seat Nicosia
Tel.: 22554600
Assistant Bishops:
The Right Reverend Bishop Varnavas of Salamis
The Right Reverend Bishop Vassilios of Tremithus
Tel.: 22-430696
The Right Reverend Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos
Tel.: 22-453450
BISHOPRIC OF PAPHOS
The Most Reverend Bishop of Paphos Georgios, seat Paphos.
Assistant Bishop: Position Vacant
Tel.: 26-232092
BISHOPRIC OF KITION
The Most Reverend Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kition, seat Larnaca.
Tel.: 24-652269
BISHOPRIC OF KYRENIA
The Most Reverend Metropolitan Pavlos of Kyrenia, seat Kyrenia.
(temporary seat: Achilleos 3, 2112 Aglantzia-Nicosia)
Tel.: 22-338308
BISHOPRIC OF LIMASSOL
The Most Reverend Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, seat Limassol.
Tel.: 25-362603
BISHOPRIC OF MORPHOU
The Most Reverend Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, seat Morphou.
(temporary seat Evrychou)
Tel.: 22-932401
July 2006
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