Orthodox Church of Cyprus

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ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CYPRUS

This church received its status as an autocephalous church in the Council of ephesus (431) with an archbishop as its head. It is ruled today by the constitution of 1914 and other synodal rulings made in 191718. Supreme authority belongs to its Holy Synod, which includes the archbishop and three metropolitans who make up the entire hierarchy of the four eparchies. The archbishop resides in Nicosia, and, according to the Orthodox precedence, holds fifth place among the Orthodox leaders; but this is disputed by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch.

Bibliography: r. roberson, The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey, 6th ed (Rome 1999).

[g.a. maloney/eds.]