Cyprus-Forum.com

[Oracle]

I'm not at all religious but I love the smell of Orthodox Churches and feel really humbled amongst all the history they exude. We owe a continuity to the Church tradition as far back as the early Hellenic gods. It revolves more around the recording of our heritage than directly influencing it. It certainly does not affect our politics since we have a strong political (democratic) tradition which is just as powerful but independent.

I think people from other religions cannot comprehend how we manage with the richness both of our political life, and also our "larger than life" religious heritage; yet still manage to keep them separate.

The Church of England is more influential in the politics in the UK (as well as in the House of Lords) than the GO religion is in Cyprus / Greece.

Look how much Tony Blair had to hide the fact he was Roman Catholic (because we all know the RCs and CoE have been bitter enemies since Henry VIII's time ).

Isn't it rather odd for the office of head of state and head of the church to be combined in one person, as was the case in Cyprus in its first years of statehood? I take your point about Tony Blair, but the Archbishop of Canterbury has never held political office.

Yet despite that, Makarios still managed to keep the influence of one away from the other. Unless the fact he was so humanitarian, despite the turmoil of the times, was due to his highly tuned ethical/moral code. Were there any instances that you think would point to Makarios putting the Church above democracy?

[DT.]

I'm not at all religious but I love the smell of Orthodox Churches and feel really humbled amongst all the history they exude. We owe a continuity to the Church tradition as far back as the early Hellenic gods. It revolves more around the recording of our heritage than directly influencing it. It certainly does not affect our politics since we have a strong political (democratic) tradition which is just as powerful but independent.

I think people from other religions cannot comprehend how we manage with the richness both of our political life, and also our "larger than life" religious heritage; yet still manage to keep them separate.

The Church of England is more influential in the politics in the UK (as well as in the House of Lords) than the GO religion is in Cyprus / Greece.

Look how much Tony Blair had to hide the fact he was Roman Catholic (because we all know the RCs and CoE have been bitter enemies since Henry VIII's time ).

Isn't it rather odd for the office of head of state and head of the church to be combined in one person, as was the case in Cyprus in its first years of statehood? I take your point about Tony Blair, but the Archbishop of Canterbury has never held political office.

Isn't the Head of state and the Head of Church in the UK the QUeen?

[Tim Drayton]

I'm not at all religious but I love the smell of Orthodox Churches and feel really humbled amongst all the history they exude. We owe a continuity to the Church tradition as far back as the early Hellenic gods. It revolves more around the recording of our heritage than directly influencing it. It certainly does not affect our politics since we have a strong political (democratic) tradition which is just as powerful but independent.

I think people from other religions cannot comprehend how we manage with the richness both of our political life, and also our "larger than life" religious heritage; yet still manage to keep them separate.

The Church of England is more influential in the politics in the UK (as well as in the House of Lords) than the GO religion is in Cyprus / Greece.

Look how much Tony Blair had to hide the fact he was Roman Catholic (because we all know the RCs and CoE have been bitter enemies since Henry VIII's time ).

Isn't it rather odd for the office of head of state and head of the church to be combined in one person, as was the case in Cyprus in its first years of statehood? I take your point about Tony Blair, but the Archbishop of Canterbury has never held political office.

Isn't the Head of state and the Head of Church in the UK the QUeen?

Touché. She doesn't have any executive or legislative role, though. I take the point. An established religion is an anachronism in the multicultural country that the UK has become, anyway.

[Bananiot]

I get it, the UK and every body else has a problem. We don´t.

[observer]

I get it, the UK and every body else has a problem. We don´t.

You're learning fast!

[denizaksulu]

FEDERAL ÇÖZÜM OLMAZ... KIBRIS'a konuşan Başpiskopos Hrisostomos, Kıbrıs ile Türkiye arasındaki mesafenin sadece 40 mil olduğunu ve Türk ordusunun Kıbrıs'a gelmesinin 3 dakikadan fazla almayacağını gerekçe göstererek, federal çözüme karşı olduğunu söyledi. İki lider arasında anlaşma sağlanacağına inanmayan Hrisostomos "Hristofyas ile Talat çok iyi dost olabilirler. Ancak Kıbrıs sorununun çözümü onlara bağlı değildir" dedi.



TÜRKLERİN TOPRAĞI ÇOK AZ... Kıbrıslı Türklerin adadaki mal varlığının yüzde 12, Kıbrıslı Rumların ise yüzde 88 olduğunu iddia eden Hrisostomos, mülkiyet sorununun takas veya tazminatla çözümlenmesine karşı olduklarını söyledi. Başpiskopos Hrisostomos "Bu sorun herkesin mülküne dönmesiyle çözülecek. Başka türlü bir çözümü kesinlikle kabul etmeyeceğiz" diyerek kilisenin siyasette aktif rol oynamaya devam edeceğini belirtti.

The above excerpts are from the Northern Turkish Cypriot Newspaper 'Kıbrıs' dated 23.01.2009. It refers to an interview with the Arch-bishop Chrisostomos. I am not sure when this interview took place.

He states that , ' this problem (Cyprob) will be solved by everyone returning to their homes. We will never accept any other solution' and added that,' the Church WILL CONTINUE to play an active role in POLITICS.' [my translation]

link: http://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/index.php ... c_Haberler

[Tim Drayton]

FEDERAL ÇÖZÜM OLMAZ... KIBRIS'a konuşan Başpiskopos Hrisostomos, Kıbrıs ile Türkiye arasındaki mesafenin sadece 40 mil olduğunu ve Türk ordusunun Kıbrıs'a gelmesinin 3 dakikadan fazla almayacağını gerekçe göstererek, federal çözüme karşı olduğunu söyledi. İki lider arasında anlaşma sağlanacağına inanmayan Hrisostomos "Hristofyas ile Talat çok iyi dost olabilirler. Ancak Kıbrıs sorununun çözümü onlara bağlı değildir" dedi.



TÜRKLERİN TOPRAĞI ÇOK AZ... Kıbrıslı Türklerin adadaki mal varlığının yüzde 12, Kıbrıslı Rumların ise yüzde 88 olduğunu iddia eden Hrisostomos, mülkiyet sorununun takas veya tazminatla çözümlenmesine karşı olduklarını söyledi. Başpiskopos Hrisostomos "Bu sorun herkesin mülküne dönmesiyle çözülecek. Başka türlü bir çözümü kesinlikle kabul etmeyeceğiz" diyerek kilisenin siyasette aktif rol oynamaya devam edeceğini belirtti.

The above excerpts are from the Northern Turkish Cypriot Newspaper 'Kıbrıs' dated 23.01.2009. It refers to an interview with the Arch-bishop Chrisostomos. I am not sure when this interview took place.

He states that , ' this problem (Cyprob) will be solved by everyone returning to their homes. We will never accept any other solution' and added that,' the Church WILL CONTINUE to play an active role in POLITICS.' [my translation]

link: http://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/index.php ... c_Haberler

Straight from the horse's mouth, as they say.

[denizaksulu]

Chrysostomos appears to be against any kind of federal solution. Who has their hands on the pulse of the Greek Cypriots? The Church or the political leadership? One way or the other these talks are doomed to failure if these two cannot see eye to eye. Or will this be the beginnings of an inter GC civil war? I hope not. No more bloodshed please.

[runaway]

church guy making politics.... dreadful.