The Church of Cyprus’s Court of Appeal has unanimously upheld the decision of the Synodical Court regarding three defrocked monks from the Holy Monastery of Saint Habakkuk, backing findings from a three-member investigative committee.
In its ruling on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus, acting as the ecclesiastical court of appeal under Archbishop Georgios, rejected the appeal filed by fathers Nektarios Georgiou, Porfyrios Ttooulou and Habakkuk Christofi.
The court confirmed the monks’ removal from priesthood, though they will retain their monastic status.
In what it called an act of compassion, the Holy Synod ordered their relocation to separate monasteries: Father Habakkuk Christofi to Kykkos Monastery, Father Porfyrios Ttooulou to Machairas Monastery, and Father Nektarios Georgiou to Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery.
The Holy Synod expressed hope that the monks would acknowledge the gravity of their canonical offences and seek God’s mercy through genuine repentance.
The ruling was supported by Metropolitan bishops of Paphos, Kyrenia, Morphou, Kykkos, Trimythous, and the Bishop of Neapolis.
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