List of archbishops of Cyprus

The archbishop of Cyprus (officially the archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus) is the head of the Church of Cyprus. Since 2023 the incumbent archbishop has been George III.

History

According to tradition, the Church of Cyprus was founded by Saint Barnabas in 45 AD. Cyprus was under the jurisdiction of the Church of Jerusalem until 325. The Church of Cyprus was declared autocephalous on 30 July 431 by the Council of Ephesus. Its autocephaly was abolished in 1260 but restored in 1571.

Archbishops of Cyprus

First Autocephalous Period (325 (431) –1260)

• Gelasios I (325)
• Epiphanius of Salamis (368)
• Stavrinos I (403)
• Troilos (431)
• Reginos (431)
• Olympios I (449)
• Stavrinos II (457)
• Anthemios (470)
• Olympios II (During the reign of Justinian)
• Philoxenos (During the reign of Justinian)
• Damianos (During the reign of Justinian)
• Sophronios I (During the reign of Justinian)
• Gregorios (During the reign of Justinian)
• Arkadios (During the reign of Justinian)[citation needed]
• Theophanes I
• Plutarch (620)
• Arkadios II (630)
• Serghios (643)
• Epiphanios II (681)
• John I (691)
• George I (754)
• Constantine (783)
• Akakios (after 787)
• Gelasios II (after 787 and likely successor of Akakios)
• Theophanes II (early 9th century and likely successor of Gelasios Ii)
• John II (early 9th century and likely successor of Theophanes II and predecessor either of Barnabas or Epiphanios III)
• Epiphanios III (890)
• Basileos
• Nicholas, later Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
• John III (1151)
• Barnabas II (1175)
• Sophronios II (1191)
• Isaias (1209)
• Neophytos I (1222)
• Germanos I (1260)

Non-autocephalous period (1260–1571)

During the Lusignan and later Venetian rule from 1260 to 1571, the Church of Cyprus ceased to be autocephalous and came under the direct rule of the Papacy; its fourteen dioceses were reduced to four until after the Ottoman conquest in 1571, when the Ottomans, for expedient administrative reasons, restored to the Orthodox Church of Cyprus all its previous privileges and rights.

Second autocephalous period (1571–present)

See also

• Catholic Church in Cyprus