What world was Jesus born into?
A historian describes the turbulent times of the real nativity
By Joan Taylor
Every year, millions of people sing the beautiful carol Silent Night, with its line “all is calm, ...
Paphos mayor: There will be more Muslims than Christians in Cyprus by 2037
Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos has predicted that by 2037, there will be more Muslims than Christians in Cyprus.
“In the Paphos district, 57 per cent of the population are Greek Cypriots. By 2034, ...
Outrage in north as hijab wearing legalised in schools
Teachers and opposition political figures in the north reacted with outrage after the ruling coalition amended regulations regarding schools’ dress codes to allow pupils to wear hijabs from Monday onwards.
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Fury in north as union demands more religion in schools
Trade unions and political parties in the north have reacted with fury after the Cyprus Turkish educators’ union (Kibtes) sent a six-page report to Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz demanding ...
North’s religious affairs director sacked
The north’s religious affairs director Ahmet Unsal was sacked on Thursday.
The news was confirmed by ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, who told news website Gundem Kibris that Unsal will ...
US says both sides should allow greater access to religious sites
A US State Department report published on Saturday said that Cyprus needs to encourage greater access to religious sites on both sides of the divide and reduce discrimination against minority ...
The island that prays every day
And not just at Easter. ALIX NORMAN asks if faith still matters to us in this day and age
Cyprus has more public holidays than any other country in Europe. ...
Catholic bishop to be ordained in Nicosia
The newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Cyprus, Bruno Varriano, is set to be ordained in Nicosia on Saturday.
The ordainment comes two months after ...
Venerating saints’ slippers ‘promotes fanaticism’
Theologian speaks out on endless display of saints’ relics in churches
The veneration of the ‘remains’ of saints and items believed to have belonged to them is developing into a ...
Minister attends religions commercialisation symposium
Economic interests have transformed faith into a marketable commodity making it challenging to balance between the need for financial support and preservation of religious values, Justice Minister Anna Koukkides Procopiou ...
Legal action taken against bus driver who taunted Apostolos Andreas priest
Legal action has been initiated against the bus driver who went viral on social media after taunting the priest at the Apostolos Andreas monastery, according to the north’s ‘interior ...
Man fined for ‘attempting to spread Christianity’ in north
A Nigerian national was hit with a 7,000TL (€234) fine on Wednesday after “attempting to spread Christianity” to the north.
Christian Layong Dogbima, who studies at one of the north’s ...
India is moving towards a ‘soft’ dictatorship
We’re not surprised when religious zealots in some benighted part of the American heartland ban the teaching of evolution in the local school, but what could have possessed the ...
Access to religious sites on both sides could improve says State Department
Access to religious sites should continue to be discussed by officials on both sides of the divide, a US state department report on the island said on Tuesday.
It underlined ...
Former pope Benedict ‘very sick’, Pope Francis calls for prayers
Former pope Benedict, a hero to conservative Catholics and who in 2013 became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down, is “very sick”, his successor Pope Francis said on Wednesday, ...
Bishops stay mum on choices for archbishop ahead of synod vote (Updated)
By Sarah Ktisti
Members of the Holy Synod who will vote for a new archbishop on Saturday kept their cards close to the chest for the most part on Friday ...
Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain arrives in Cyprus ahead of funeral for Chrysostomos II
Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain arrived in Cyprus on Friday evening from the United Kingdom, to attend the funeral of Archbishop Chrysostomos II to be held on Saturday.
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Pope names women to bishops advisory committee for first time
Pope Francis has named three women, two nuns and a lay woman, to a previously all-male committee that advises him in selecting the world’s bishops, the Vatican said on ...
Coronavirus: Archbishop hopes Epiphany ceremonies will go ahead
Following existing health protocols is enough to protect people expected to gather at cross throwing ceremonies on January 6, Archbishop Chrysostomos said on Monday, following reports that new Covid restrictions might ...
Bishops a no-show at cathedral service as religious rift continues
The rift splitting the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus remains in place after six out seven of its members who disagreed with Archbishop Chrysostomos’ recognition of the independence ...
Official opening of archbishop’s ‘dream’ cathedral (Updated)
The Church of Cyprus marked the day of its founder, Saint Barnabas, on Friday with the official opening of the newly built cathedral dedicated to the apostle, located in the ...
Protest against El Diablo, a Eurovision ‘hymn to dark forces’
Scores of protesters gathered on Saturday outside state broadcaster CyBC calling for the withdrawal from the Eurovision song contest of Cyprus’ entry, El Diablo, which they described as “a hymn ...