Preparations are continuing on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus for the first round of an election to select a trio of eligible hierarchs of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Cyprus to succeed reposed Archbishop Chrysostomos II.
The election will take place on Dec. 18, with eligible voters being citizens of the Republic of Cyprus who are also members of the Orthodox Church. A ballot with the names of the candidates, all serving Metropolitans of the Church of Cyprus, will be used.
A majority of members of the Church of Cyprus’ Holy Synod will then select a new Archbishop, to fill the vacant Church throne, from among the trio of top vote-getters.
Based on opinion polls conducted on the island republic so far, the Metropolitan of Limassol, His Eminence Athanasios, is preferred by most respondents in the surveys, followed by the Metropolitan of Tamassos, His Eminence Isiah. No clear favorite, however, emerged for a third candidate in the ecclesiastical election.