The Church of Cyprus
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The Church of Cyprus is one of the autocephalous churches of the Orthodox Christian communion whose territory consists of the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. The Apostle Paul, accompanied by Barnabas and Mark the Evangelist (Barnabas' kinsman), came to Cyprus in 45 AD to spread Christianity. The autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus was recognized at the Third Ecumenical Council (431).
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Although through the centuries the island has been occupied by various parties, the church has retained its independence.
The Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus is the highest church authority in Cyprus. Its task is to examine and provide solutions on all issues concerning the Church of Cyprus. It consists of the Archbishop of Cyprus as the Head of the Holy Synod, the Bishops of Paphos, Kition, Kyrenia, Limassol and Morphou, the Suffragan Bishops of Salamis, Trimithous and Arsinoe and the Bishop of Kykko Nikiforos, as regular members.
The Holy Synod meets regularly in the first week after Easter and in the first fortnight of the months of February and September. It meets in ad hoc sessions when it is deemed necessary or when two of its members put forward a request.
The current primate is Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus.
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