Your Eminence, time is counting down for the December 18 election process that will determine the tripartite. From your meetings and contacts with the faithful, what have you perceived? What is it that they are asking of the new archbishop and what hopes are they pinning on the next ecclesiastical leader of the country?
From the new Archbishop the people are asking the new Archbishop to make the Church the refuge of all those in need. Both those in need of financial support and those in need of a warm word, of support, of guidance. Both the young and the elderly need the Church to lean on her and she opens paths for them. We are entering a time when technology has developed excessively, people are looking for guidance, but also for answers to the questions and dilemmas raised by the results of these technologies. The Church must delve into the Bible with much study and fear of God in order to be able to give answers to the new problems, based on the evangelical word.
What followed the demise of Archbishop Chrysostomos II and the important presence at the funeral service was an indication of the appreciation not only for the late Archbishop but also for the Church of Cyprus in general? And in particular, how do you assess the coming of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Cyprus?
What happened after the demise of Archbishop Chrysostomos indicates his greatness and how much he was able to impose himself on both the Orthodox world and the entire Christian and even the non-religious world in general. This means that the Church of Cyprus in the person of Archbishop Chrysostomos was able to impose itself and become respected everywhere. The coming especially of the Ecumenical Patriarch meant two things. Firstly, his appreciation for his actions and his conciliatory word throughout Orthodoxy, but also the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarch felt the friendship of our blessed Archbishop. This friendship was also manifested in his charitable works and in his financial and material contributions to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. I refer to the free of charge of the House of the Church of Cyprus in Brussels to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to the support of the schools of Imbros, but also of the Theological School of Halki and in general to his concern for the Mother Church. It was, therefore, a sign of the Patriarch's friendship and appreciation.
Did this visit of the Patriarch to Cyprus have other messages to send, regarding the succession to the throne of Apostle Barnabas?
The Patriarch's visit had other messages, of course. May this tradition of our Church continue. To stay on his side not because we serve ethno-racialism, not because the Patriarchate has a Greek at its head, but because all the rules of the Ecumenical Councils are mentioned in the Ecumenical Patriarchate and all the rights of the Ecumenical Throne are recorded there.
How do you interpret the fact that hierarchs - the so-called archbishops - are claiming the throne of Apostle Barnabas? Is it considered a split of some kind? Is there any room for understanding do you think for the continuation?
It is a democratic right of all metropolitans to claim the archbishop's throne. Each may have an individual aspect that the other does not have and an individual reason to claim the throne in order to be able to carry out his work. It is something that can be done, it is their democratic right. We believe that the people will also give the people a margin of understanding by electing a tripartite representative.
Would it ultimately be "easier" if the late Archbishop before his demise gave the so-called succession ring?
It was not possible for the archbishop to name his successor because it is not a succession of reigns. It is a matter of the people's choice and the free will of the people. By the way the various candidates were and are placed, the people can understand what their wishes were and how they would act if they were alive.
The late Archbishop left a legacy of great work. I refer to the important breakthroughs for our church and of course the important charitable work. Develop for us your own vision if you succeed in being the next Archbishop?
Indeed, the late Archbishop left a great work. No one could have understood when he ascended to the archdiocesan throne that his archdiocese would develop so brilliantly. The breakthroughs he made, namely, creating a synod of the autocephalous Church, setting up the parish clergy endowment fund, establishing the Theological School, building the Cathedral, and making dormitories are something that shows how great his work was. Our vision is first to continue the work of the late Archbishop and expand it. In charity by activating many legacies that exist in the archdiocese to help more people both students and needy people seeking health abroad and poor people to survive. I am fully aware of the need that people have today for student residences in Nicosia and Paphos and wherever there are Universities.
Dealing with under-generation was not in the Archbishop's immediate plans, but I think he would be particularly happy to see us dealing with it today. The way things are going today, we will become a minority in our country if the under-birth rate that plagues the Greek community continues, which is why I intend in my vision to help financially all those couples who have more than two children. Demographics is becoming a major issue for Hellenism in Cyprus.
We will continue to stand with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the issue of the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine. This is required by the sacred canons and decisions of the Ecumenical Councils.
We will turn with respect to our tradition and culture, we will continue and expand the work that was done in the Holy Metropolis of Paphos with the creation of Museums and Libraries.
We will continue to express our opinion on our national issue.
We will continue to express our opinion on our national issue. The Church in the eight centuries of slavery from the 12th century onwards, was the only institution that undertook the preservation of the national self-consciousness of the people. Until Cyprus is liberated and human rights fully prevail for all its lawful inhabitants, the Church will maintain its consultative national character and its word both to the Government and to the people. We have a responsibility for the preservation of Hellenism and Christianity in our land.
My vision is also the proper guidance of the faithful, especially the young, in the new achievements of science and technology. In the fear of God we will immerse ourselves in the gospel to find the answers to new questions and new dilemmas.
I understand that the current decisions of the Holy Synod are binding. So our position as the Church of Cyprus in relation to the tug-of-war between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Moscow is also immovable, right?
My position is that in this tug-of-war between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Moscow the solution has been given. We cannot go back. The Church of Cyprus is on the side of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, because this is the correct position from a canonical point of view.
You have expressed, and above, the conviction that the Church must maintain its voice in our national issue. How do you respond to those who believe that the church leader should not express an opinion in matters of politics or even economics?
Those who say that the church leader should only express an opinion on religious issues and not on political and economic issues do not know and completely ignore the spirit of Christianity. Christ came to serve the whole man not only his soul but also his body. Many are the times when he provided for the food of men and for the cure of their diseases; he provided for all their needs. When the Church is interested in the just acquisition and just distribution of goods, she expresses her mission which is the prevalence of justice and equality in the world. On the national question it is necessary for the Church to insist because if we lose our national status, our faith is in danger. Our national status as Greeks and our ecclesiastical faith as Orthodox Christians have been going together for the last two thousand years.
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