The new Metropolitan of Paphos, who will succeed the deposed Metropolitan Tychicos, is highly likely to be elected directly by the Holy Synod, should a proposal by Archbishop George be approved by the body.
The proposal seeks to have Bishops and Metropolitans elected exclusively by the Holy Synod, eliminating the participation of lay members.
The Archbishop will submit the proposal to the Holy Synod during its session the day after tomorrow. Estimates suggest it will be approved. This means that individuals who were organising support bases among the laity to promote their candidacy will be left in limbo, as the Holy Synod will have the exclusive say, although it will not entirely disregard the will of the faithful.
The Archbishop will present the general framework for the election of hierarchs by the Holy Synod. Any procedural issues will be discussed before the body. These may concern whether candidates must declare their interest in each case of succession, or if the Synod will draft a shortlist of three candidates deemed to meet the criteria and have no impediment, before selecting one to fill the throne.
Reasons for reform
The direct election of hierarchs by the Holy Synod is also practiced by the Church of Greece, where a list of all candidates is compiled, and the election is carried out by the Holy Synod, which includes approximately 82 hierarchs. This procedure is also applied by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, due to the specific conditions in Turkey.
Archbishop George seeks to regulate the election process to prevent the elevation of individuals who secure popular support but are deemed unable to perform their duties by the Church hierarchy. Furthermore, the goal is to exclude people with moral or other impediments, which may be known to the Church hierarchy but not to the general public, from key positions.
Finally, the reform aims to terminate the ongoing conflicts that arise every time an election is held to fill a throne.
Regarding the election of the Archbishop, the head of the Church believes the laity must participate, given that the Archbishop expresses the will of the Church on various national and ecclesiastical issues.