Legal authorities are expected to make key decisions after Easter on whether to bring charges in several cases related to the Habakkuk Monastery scandal, a year after masked men stormed the premises and expelled monks in an unprecedented event that rocked the Church of Cyprus.
According to sources, a high-level meeting was held on Holy Wednesday at the Legal Service, attended by senior legal officials, a legal review team, and police investigators. The group reviewed all pending files linked to the monastery in Fterikoudi, evaluating evidence, investigative findings, and legal assessments.
While no final decisions were made, authorities agreed that developments would follow immediately after Easter. These will include determinations on which cases will proceed to court and which will be closed.
Since the scandal broke, investigations have concluded on 16 separate cases, yet only one has been forwarded for prosecution. That case involves former archimandrites Nektarios and Porphyrios, who were defrocked by the Holy Synod and are now simple monks.
Despite multiple case files being submitted by police to the Legal Service in 2024, no prosecutorial decisions have been made so far, as officials opted to assess all cases together. Allegations under investigation have ranged from sexual misconduct and financial improprieties to workplace exploitation and the unauthorized use of surveillance equipment within the monastery.
Among the high-profile incidents were claims by Metropolitan Isaiah regarding the discovery of a safe containing €807,000, reports of a monk assaulting a monastery staff member, and labor complaints from monks working in the monastery’s pastry shop. Additionally, a financial complaint was lodged by monk Nektarios against Metropolitan Isaiah.
Investigations into these matters have largely concluded, with some prompting additional inquiries. Authorities now face pressure to bring closure to a controversy that has shaken the Church and left the monastery shuttered.
