Former bishop of Paphos Tychikos on Saturday held a memorial service for his late mother in his birthplace, the village of Mesana in the Paphos district.

The service took place at the chapel of Saint George, following special permission granted by Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus, who is currently acting as Locum Tenens of the bishopric.

Tychikos was suspended from his clerical duties earlier this year following a decision by the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus. The move came amid internal tensions over his unauthorised actions and public appearances, which church officials claimed were disruptive and outside ecclesiastical order. While no criminal allegations have been made against him, the church cited concerns about insubordination and procedural breaches. Tychikos has since appealed the decision.

Church sources confirmed that the Holy Synod is expected to convene next week to discuss Tychikos’ case. No official details have been released about the precise allegations under examination.

Tychikos’ lawyer, Evangelia Poulla, said that public support remains strong for her client. She stressed that under church law, a bishop may be removed from office only for three reasons: sexual misconduct, incompetence or senile dementia. 

“None of these grounds exist for Tychikos,” she said.

The archbishop, however, has expressed scepticism about Tychikos’ motives. He claimed Tychikos’ presence in the village was merely a bid to generate publicity and accused him of seeking to create an impression by inviting the archbishop to co-officiate the memorial service.

“You were given permission for Saturday, which the church designates for memorials of the departed,” Archbishop Georgios said. 

“You could have conducted it that day without exploiting the occasion to impress the public.”

He added that neither he nor the Holy Synod of Cyprus intends to deal any further with Tychikos’ “orchestrated letters” until the appeal he has lodged with the Holy Synod is reviewed.