Archbishop Georgios on Friday assured that all church charter regulations are being adhered to in relation to investigations into the Osiou Avakoum Monastery scandal, in light of allegations of consistent violations from the monks’ legal team.

Responding to a remark that the lawyers of the monks are critical of the attitude of the church, of Archbishop Georgios himself, and how the monks are treated, and asked if all the charter rules will be observed, Georgios said they are being observed and “[the lawyers] know it”.

“If they want to mislead either their clients or others, that is their business. The rules are observed, and they know better than anyone else that above both the statutes and provisions is the Holy Synod, which can also amend rules, which of course it did not do,” he added.

Asked if there were any thoughts about when the now-infamous monastery would open and whether other monks would go, he said that it was “not our right to intervene”.

That right “belongs to another diocese which has the authority,” he added.

Referring to the June 20 meeting of the Holy Synod and whether the issue of the monastery would be raised, he said that “if the investigative committee of the church of Cyprus finishes its work, it will refer the charges to itself and to the six-member ecclesiastical court of the church.”

“It will not come to the Synod,” he added.

The archbishop also said that once the charges are received by the ecclesiastical court, he thinks it will not take them long to issue a verdict.

Asked if the case against the monks of Osiou Avakoum will wrap up by the end of summer, he said: “I believe very soon, when it gets there.”

Earlier, the lawyers of the monks said the archbishop should be excommunicated for insulting clergymen.

According to the legal team, this penalty is provided for in a rule first laid out by the apostles of Christ.

Specifically, calls for the archbishop’s excommunication came after he made comments in an interview on Friday where he equated the monks to meat that had spoiled.

Archbishop Georgios was said to have commented on the acts the monks were accused of. He was heard saying: “Where many strong smells exist, it is to cover up other undesirable ones. For example, we do it with food and with sausages, when the meats start to smell bad, they put more spices in them.”

Previously the monks’ legal team had also called for the church to adhere to all the rules in the church charter, as some violations had been observed in both the investigative committee and in the manner with which the monks were suspended.

The monks were suspended by Tamassos Bishop Isaias for a period of three months but have since been threatened that if they return to the monastery, Isaias will call the police.

Additionally, lawyers have previously pointed out that the church cannot charge them for the alleged crimes, as Isaias has already ruled and issued a punishment for the same crimes.