Roman era According to the
Acts of the Apostles,
Paul the Apostle preached on
Cyprus during his first missionary journey and converted the Roman proconsul
Sergius Paulus in
Paphos (). This event is traditionally regarded as the first recorded conversion of a Roman provincial governor to Christianity, leading later Christian tradition to describe Cyprus as the first territory governed by a Christian ruler. Several early Christian figures are traditionally associated with the spread of Christianity on the island.
Lazarus is venerated as the first Bishop of
Kition (modern
Larnaca), where he is said to have served for many years after leaving Judea. Other figures associated with the early episcopal organization of the Church of Cyprus include Heraklidios, Bishop of
Tamassos, Auxibius, Bishop of
Soloi, and Theodotus, Bishop of
Kyrenia; however, information about their lives is largely derived from later ecclesiastical tradition rather than contemporary historical sources. By the end of the
fourth century, Christianity had spread throughout Cyprus and become the dominant religion on the island. During this period,
Epiphanius of Salamis served as Archbishop of Cyprus. His episcopal seat was located in
Salamis, which was later renamed Constantia. Epiphanius played a significant role in the theological debates of the period and was a prominent defender of Nicene orthodoxy.
Byzantine era This independent (
autocephalous) status of the Church of Cyprus was recognized by ancient custom against the claims of the
Patriarch of Antioch at the
Council of Ephesus in 431. It remains unclear whether the Church of Cyprus had always been independent or had previously been under the
Church of Antioch. When the Patriarch of Antioch asserted jurisdiction over Cyprus, the Cypriot clergy formally contested this before the Council of Ephesus. The Council ratified the autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus through a resolution stating: Following the Council of Ephesus, the Church of Antioch did not renew its claims over Cyprus. Recent scholarship highlights that civil authorities played a key role in the recognition of local autocephaly in the early Church, with the case of Cyprus being a significant early example of this interaction between ecclesiastical custom and imperial power. This independence was further confirmed by an edict of
Emperor Zeno. In 478, Archbishop
Anthemius of Cyprus claimed to have discovered the grave of Barnabas and his
relics following a vision. On Barnabas's chest was found a copy of the
Gospel of Matthew. This discovery allowed the Church to petition the Emperor independently, demonstrating the connection to its reputed founder. Emperor Zeno reaffirmed the Church of Cyprus's status and granted its Archbishop the "three privileges": the right to sign documents with ink made
vermilion by the addition of
cinnabar; to wear
tyrian purple robes under his
vestments; and to hold an imperial
sceptre instead of the standard episcopal
crosier. Cyprus suffered significant destruction during Arab invasions in subsequent centuries. During the reign of
Justinian II, the cities of Constantia, Kourion, and
Paphos were sacked. On the Emperor's advice, the Archbishop and survivors fled to the
Dardanelles and established the city of Nova Justiniana (,
Néa Iustinianē) at
Erdek near
Cyzicus. In 692, the
Quinisext Council reconfirmed the privileges of the exiled archbishop, and in 698, following the Arab withdrawal from Cyprus, the Archbishop returned while retaining the title "Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus," a practice that continues to this day.
Crusader era After the establishment of the
Kingdom of Cyprus in 1191, the Catholic rulers gradually reduced the number of Orthodox bishoprics from fourteen to four and relocated Orthodox prelates away from their traditional seats. The Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus was moved from Nicosia to Solia near
Morphou, and the Bishop of
Larnaca was transferred to the village of Lefkara. Orthodox bishops were placed under the jurisdiction of the corresponding Catholic bishops in the region, reflecting the dominance of the Latin hierarchy over the native Church during the Frankish period. On several occasions, Catholic authorities sought to compel Orthodox bishops to conform to Latin doctrinal and liturgical practices, at times using threats or violence. A notable example of this tension was the persecution of thirteen Orthodox monks from Kantara Monastery who resisted Latin liturgical reforms; they were tried for heresy, imprisoned, and ultimately executed in 1231. Properties belonging to numerous Orthodox monasteries were seized by Catholic institutions, yet these measures failed to eradicate the Orthodox faith among the Greek Cypriot population. Churches containing Byzantine icons, frescoes and mosaics have been pillaged by antiquities dealers and sold on the black market. One of the most prominent cases of pillage was of the mosaics of
Panagia of Kanakaria of the 6th century AD, which were returned to the Church of Cyprus, following rulings by federal courts in
Indianapolis and
Chicago. In Northern Cyprus, there are 514 churches, chapels and monasteries, many of which were converted to mosques, museums or abandoned.
Recent events On 3 August 1977,
Makarios III died and was succeeded by Archbishop
Chrysostomos I. In 1979, the new Statutory Charter of the Church of Cyprus was drawn up and approved replacing the old one from 1914. In his old age, Archbishop Chrysostomos I suffered from
Alzheimer's disease and was unable to carry out his duties for a number of years. In May 2006,
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I chaired a broader meeting of church elders which called for Chrysostomos I's "honorary removal".
Chrysostomos II was elected the new archbishop on 5 November 2006, after a long-running election campaign. After the death of Chrysostomos II, the
2022 Cypriot archiepiscopal election was called to choose his successor, with
George III elected. ==Administration and Holy Synod==