Paphos bishop elected as new leader of Cyprus Church

Cyprus’ Orthodox Church on Saturday elected Paphos Bishop Georgios as its new leader following the death last month of Archbishop Chrysostomos II.
The 73-year-old cleric received nine votes from the 16-member Holy Synod, the church’s highest decision making body, against four for runner-up Limassol Bishop Athanasios. There was also one blank ballot.
The Holy Synod’s decision followed a Dec. 18 lay vote from among all Orthodox Christians on the east Mediterranean island nation in which Athanasios topped the poll, followed by Georgios and Tamasos Bishop Isaias.
According to the Church’s constitution, a lay vote is held to select the top three bishops and then the Holy Synod holds its own secret ballot to elect the new archbishop.
Georgios had been pegged as the favorite to win the synod’s approval despite Athanasios’ lay vote victory because of what numerous media reports suggested was the network of allegiances and dynamics within the synod.