The Church of Cyprus (Greek: Ἐκκλησία τῆς Κύπρου, romanized: Ekklisia tis Kyprou) is one of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox churches that form part of the communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Based in Cyprus, it is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches; it claims to have always been independent, although it may have been subject to the Church of Antioch before its autocephaly was recognized in 431 at the Council of Ephesus. The bishop of the ancient capital, Salamis (renamed Constantia by Emperor Constantius II) was constituted metropolitan by Emperor Zeno, with the title archbishop.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Church of Cyprus in the context of Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots (Greek: Ελληνοκύπριοι, romanized: Ellinokýprioi) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming almost 99% of the 737,196 Cypriot citizens and over 77.9% of the 923,381 total residents of the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. These figures do not include the 29,321 citizens of Greece residing in Cyprus, ethnic Greeks recorded as citizens of other countries, or the population of illegally occupied Northern Cyprus.
The majority of Greek Cypriots are members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. In regard to the 1960 Constitution of Cyprus, the term also includes Maronites, Armenians, and Catholics of the Latin Church ("Latins"), who were given the option of being included in either the Greek or Turkish communities and voted to join the former due to a shared religion.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Church of Cyprus
- 👉 Church of Cyprus in the context of Greek Cypriots
- Church of Cyprus in the context of Greek Orthodox Church
- Church of Cyprus in the context of St. John's Cathedral, Nicosia
- Church of Cyprus in the context of Religion in Cyprus
- Church of Cyprus in the context of Makarios III
Church of Cyprus in the context of Greek Orthodox Church
A Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, romanized: Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía, IPA: [elinorˈθoðoksi ekliˈsia]) is any of three classes of Christian churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Roman Empire:
- The broader meaning refers to "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also called 'Eastern Orthodox', 'Greek Catholic', or generally 'the Greek Church'".
- A second, narrower meaning refers to "any of several independent churches within the worldwide communion of [Eastern] Orthodox Christianity that retain the use of the Greek language in formal ecclesiastical settings". In this sense, the Greek Orthodox Churches are the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and its dependencies, the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, the Church of Greece and the Church of Cyprus.
- The third meaning refers to the Church of Greece, an Eastern Orthodox Church operating within the modern borders of Greece.
Church of Cyprus in the context of St. John's Cathedral, Nicosia
The Cathedral of St. John the Theologian (Greek: Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Ιωάννη) is the main church of the Church of Cyprus. It is located in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus.
The church was built in the fourteenth century at the site of Benedictine Abbey of St. John the Theologian that had been founded by the House of Lusignan. First reference about the church appears in historical sources starting from the eleventh century. Due to frequent Mamluk invasions, Benedictines left the island in 1426, and the monastery was passed over to the Orthodox. However, the monastery retained its dedication to St. John the Theologian.
Church of Cyprus in the context of Religion in Cyprus
Religion in Cyprus is dominated by the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity, whose adherents make up 73% of the total population of the entire island. Most Greek Cypriots are members of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox 'Church of Cyprus'. Most Turkish Cypriots are officially Sunni Muslims. There are also Baháʼí, Catholic, Jewish, Protestant (including Anglican), Armenian Apostolic, Sikh and non-religious communities in Cyprus.
Church of Cyprus in the context of Makarios III
Makarios III (born Michael Christodoulou Mouskos; 13 August 1913 – 3 August 1977) was a Greek Cypriot prelate and politician who served as Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus from 1950 to 1977 and as the first president of Cyprus between 1960 and July 1974, with a second term between December 1974 and 1977. He is widely regarded as the founding father or "Ethnarch" of the Republic of Cyprus, leading its transition from British colonial rule.