Paphos is electing on Sunday its 70th Bishop. Those registered to vote are called upon to elect three of the candidates from which the Holy Synod will choose the next Bishop of Paphos at a later stage.
The Bishop of Paphos is considered the first-ranked Bishop of Cyprus. The position has been vacant since December 24, 2022, when the former Bishop of Paphos, Georgios, was elected Archbishop of Cyprus.
According to the Chief Returning Officer of Paphos Bishopric, Ioannis Charilaou, the number of registered voters in the entire district of Paphos stands at 52,164 voters, who are distributed in 126 polling stations.
All Orthodox Christians who have reached the age of 18 by February 19th and have been residing in the Paphos district for at least one year, and are included in the electoral list, have the right to vote, with some exceptions. The ballot paper will be blank and the voter will write the name of their chosen person on the ballot paper. The voting hours are from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (local time).
All candidates meeting the criteria set out in the Charter of the Church of Cyprus are eligible. Those who announced their candidacy include Karpasia Bishop Christoforos, Amathounta Bishop Nicholas and Archimandrites Tychikos Vryonis and Ioannis Ioannou.
President elect Nikos Christodoulides, who was born in the Paphos district of Yeroskipou, is expected to cast his ballot at 14.00. Archbishop Georgios had held the Paphos seat since December 2006 when his predecessor Chrysostomos was elected Archbishop. Chrysostomos died in November 2022.
Source: Cyprus News Agency