The Church of Cyprus

According to the testimony of the Bible, the roots of the church in Cyprus go back to apostolic times (cf. Acts 13:4-13). The apostle Barnabas, who came from Cyprus, is considered to be the first bishop of the island. Initially, Cypriot Christians were subject to the Patriarch of Antioch, but the Council of Ephesus granted the Church of Cyprus autocephaly as early as 431. Since then, the Synod of Cypriot Bishops has elected its head, the Archbishop of Cyprus, independently. In the ranking of Orthodox churches, it is therefore in the first place after the churches that have the status of a patriarchate.

Politically, the Mediterranean island belonged to the Byzantine Empire until the end of the 12th century, although it was occupied by Arabs several times in the 8th and 9th centuries. In 1191, Richard the Lionheart conquered the island, which was then under Latin rule for several centuries, most recently (1489-1571) as a Venetian colony. During this time, the Orthodox bishops were largely replaced by Latin hierarchs, several of whom enriched themselves personally by confiscating Orthodox church property. During the Ottoman rule of Cyprus (1571-1878), the Latin hierarchy was expelled from the country and the Orthodox bishops were reinstated as spiritual (and civil) representatives of the Cypriot people. 

After the Russo-Turkish War, the island came under British rule in 1878, which only ended in 1959 with the independence of Cyprus. The Orthodox Church played a leading role in the struggle for independence, with the result that Cypriot Archbishop Makarios III was elected as the first president of the independent Republic of Cyprus in 1959. He held this office until his death in 1977, retaining his spiritual offices. The Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which has been headed by Archbishop Georgios since 2022, is characterized by the Greek language and culture and maintains close relations with the Church of Greece.