The appeal hearing of deposed Paphos bishop Tychikos against his dismissal is expected to take place at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on October 17, according to reports on Friday.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported that he has received an invite from the ecumenical patriarchate, and that he will be accompanied on his trip to Istanbul by law professor Panayiotis Lazaratos, who will undertake his defence.

It added that he was informed on Thursday night of the date of the hearing, and that he is now “preparing for his departure”.

Last month, his lawyer Evangelia Poulla had told that since being relieved of his duties on May, Tychikos has been “praying and fasting”.

Earlier, church spokesman Christakis Efstathiou told CNA that after Tychikos’ appearance at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a decision on his appeal will be made. If the appeal is accepted, he said, “it means Tychikos’ request is satisfied”, but if it is rejected, “it means that the decisions of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus on this issue are ratified”.

The Holy Synod had on May 22 voted by a ten to six margin to ratify Tychikos’ removal from his official status after he was charged with various breaches of church protocol, including the showcasing an icon of a saint not canonised by the Church.

Church secretary Georgios Christodoulou said that “the Holy Synod decided that the aforementioned hierarchy shall remain a bishop of the Church of Cyprus and a member of the Holy Synod,” understood to mean he may retain the title, but that he has been relieved of his administrative duties.

The archbishop had previously clashed with Tychikos, notably over the latter’s refusal to allow the relic of Apostle Paul’s skull to be brought from the Vatican City to Cyprus on the principle that the late Pope Francis was “a heretic”.

Tychikos had also faced accusations of racism in the past, having once told a congregation to “avoid food prepared by contaminated people” and having refused to conduct marriages between members of the church who were not of Greek origin.

The day after his dismissal, Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos had said his municipality had had to suffer “trying and unbecoming behaviours” on Tychikos’ part for years.

Phedonos said Tychikos had taken the municipality to court “without the courtesy of informing” them, and that he had obstructed all communication between the municipality and the bishopric by locking offices and refusing to answer telephone calls.

The reason given for the stonewalling was a “spiritual retreat”, Phedonos added.