Apostolos Tomaras
The Holy Synod has brought an end to a long-standing vacancy in the Metropolitan seat of Paphos, filling a position that had remained open since May 2026.
The bishops proceeded with the election of a new Metropolitan of Paphos following the removal of former Metropolitan Tychikos. According to ecclesiastical sources, the Synod elected Archimandrite Grigorios Ioannidis, the Protosyngellos of the Metropolis of Trimythous, who was also the Archbishop’s preferred candidate.
Reliable sources said the new Metropolitan was elected with 11 votes, securing the required majority under the revised provisions of the Church’s statutory charter. The election took place under a new procedure introduced through recent amendments, which first required the approval of a list of eligible candidates before proceeding to the vote.
The candidates
Four clerics had expressed interest in the metropolitan throne, all of whom met the formal eligibility criteria.
The list included Archimandrite Grigorios Ioannidis, who was ultimately elected; Archimandrite Ioannis, Abbot of the Monastery of Apostle Barnabas; Archimandrite Sofronios of the Monastery of Panagia Trooditissa; and Archimandrite Ioannis Theocharous, Protosyngellos of the Metropolis of Paphos.
Profile of the new Metropolitan
Archimandrite Grigorios Ioannidis currently serves as an associate professor at the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus, where he teaches Liturgical Studies and also oversees the library. He is also Protosyngellos of the Holy Metropolis of Trimythous and holds administrative and pastoral responsibilities across several church departments.
His work includes coordinating church education and outreach programs such as women’s Christian associations, Bible study circles, lectures, seminars, student conferences, and summer camps. He also represents the Metropolis in Synod committees and in matters relating to ecclesiastical heritage and archaeological sites within the region.
Education and academic background
Ioannidis studied theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens before completing postgraduate studies in ecclesiastical sciences at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, specializing in liturgy, where he obtained both a master’s and a doctorate degree.
He later served as a postdoctoral summer fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University’s Byzantine Studies Center in Washington, focusing on the Byzantine liturgical tradition in Cyprus through the study of Cypriot manuscript euchologia.
He is a member of several academic and scholarly organizations, including Societas Orientalium Liturgiarum, the Cyprus Studies Association, and the Theological Association of Secondary Education Teachers.
His research focuses on the history and theology of Christian worship, as well as the study and preservation of Cyprus’ ecclesiastical heritage, including ancient basilicas, churches, frescoes, icons, manuscripts, and archaeological sites connected to the Metropolis of Trimythous.
