Former Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos Hospitalized in Athens Following Trip to Constantinople

OCP News Service – 24/10/2025

Athens – Greece: His Eminence, the former Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos (Church of Cyprus), was hospitalized in Athens after feeling unwell following a recent trip to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, according to news reports released on October 24, 2025.

His hospitalization, confirmed in a video statement by his spiritual father and physician, Fr. Evangelos Papanikolaou, follows weeks of exhaustion and stress. Fr. Evangelos explained that the Metropolitan had been ill for several days, and doctors had advised him against traveling to the Patriarchate. Despite these warnings, he made the trip, during which his condition worsened. Upon returning, he was admitted to the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center on October 22, and later transferred to another Athens hospital for continued care.

A Message of Faith Amidst Trials

Speaking briefly from his hospital bed, the Metropolitan offered words of gratitude and resilience: “Glory to God! I ask for the prayers of all, just as I pray for Paphos, which I love deeply, for all of Cyprus, and for every Christian. Pray that this trial passes and that better days come for our Church. Glory to God!”

The hospitalization occurs shortly after the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople upheld the Church of Cyprus’s decision to depose him in May 2025. An ongoing ecclesiastical issue is the requested profession of faith; Metropolitan Tychikos maintains he fulfilled this obligation through a written statement affirming all Ecumenical Council decisions.

Meanwhile, the faithful in Paphos have demonstrated unwavering support, publishing an open letter that calls the Metropolitan’s theological stance on certain issues, particularly regarding the 2016 Cretan Council, a “paternal confession and a call to sobriety.”

Sources: Union of Orthodox Journalists, philenews, and reports concerning the open letter from Cypriot believers.