The
leader of Cyprus' Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Chrysostomos speaks
to the media during a press conference in his office at the
Archbishopric in Nicosia, Cyprus' on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. Chrysostomos
says he will ask the Russian Orthodox Patriarch to act so that a
Russian priest stops conducting liturgical services at a pair of
churches in the breakaway, Turkish Cypriot north of the ethnically
divided island nation. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The leader of Cyprus’ Orthodox
Christian Church says he will ask the Russian Patriarch to stop a
Russian priest conducting services in the breakaway, Turkish Cypriot
north of the divided island nation.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II says the Cypriot church doesn’t wish its
Russian counterpart to meddle in its domestic affairs or create its own
parishes on the island.
He said he would also appeal to Russian authorities through Patriarch
Kirill to convince any Russians living in the north to leave.
Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece.
Chrystostomos said Friday the Cyprus church has its own
Russian-speaking clergy to conduct services in the internationally
recognized, Greek-Cypriot south, where many Russian expatriates live.