Medical examinations of deposed Paphos bishop Tychikos have been completed, following his hospitalisation last week during his journey back to Cyprus from Istanbul. Tychikos had travelled to Istanbul to appeal against his dismissal at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The priest accompanying Tychikos, known as Father Evangelos, reported to the Cyprus News Agency that doctors at the Onassis hospital in Athens recommended that he avoid mental stress. He noted that Tychikos’ health has improved and that he will consult with heart surgeons for further evaluation.
According to Father Evangelos, if there are no serious health concerns, Tychikos plans to return to Cyprus. Prior to his hospitalisation, it was reported that he was experiencing health issues while travelling from Istanbul to Athens, prompting his admission to the hospital for a series of tests.
Members of the Cyprus Holy Synod expressed concern about Tychikos’ condition, with assurances that they could contact his doctors for updates. However, Archdiocese of Cyprus press spokesman Christos Efstathiou indicated that the Holy Synod and Archbishop Georgios were not informed of Tychikos’ hospitalisation in a timely manner, and had they been, they would have contributed to his recovery.
Tychikos’ visit to Istanbul was to contest the Holy Synod’s decision to relieve him of his duties, which was ratified by a vote of ten to six on May 22. This decision followed charges against him for breaches of church protocol, including displaying an uncanonised saint’s icon. His lawyer, Evangelia Poulla, condemned the decision as “unacceptable to say the least” and described it as “inconceivable,” noting that such an unjust ruling was unprecedented.
On the other hand, Efstathiou remarked that the unanimous decision from the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent a clear message. Although Tychikos retains his title as a bishop of the Church of Cyprus, he has been stripped of his administrative responsibilities. Church secretary Georgios Christodoulou clarified that Tychikos remains a member of the Holy Synod.
The tensions between Tychikos and the archbishop have been well-documented, particularly regarding Tychikos’ refusal to allow the relic of Apostle Paul’s skull to be brought from the Vatican City, based on his beliefs about Pope Francis. In the aftermath of Tychikos’ dismissal, Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos publicly shared grievances about the bishop’s conduct, describing it as “trying and unbecoming” for the municipality over the years. He recounted how Tychikos had taken the municipality to court without prior notice and had obstructed communications by locking offices and ignoring calls, attributing the behaviour to a “spiritual retreat.”