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Catholic Church in Cyprus

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Gothic-style church in Famagusta (1360)
The Holy Cross Cathedral in Nicosia in the early 20th century

The Catholic Church in Cyprus is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

Description

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There are around 10,000 Catholic faithful in Cyprus, corresponding to just over 1% of the total population. Most Catholic worshippers are either Maronite Cypriots, under the pastoral care of Joseph Soueif, Archeparch of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus, or Latins, under the pastoral care of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, with a Patriarchal Vicar General. The Roman catholic community of Cyprus (Latinoi, Λατίνοι) is of the three recognised religious minorities of Cyprus, together with the Armenians and Maronites, according to the 1960 constitution,[1] and is represented in the Cypriot parliament.

The Latin Patriarchal Vicariate for Cyprus has four parishes:

The Sisters of St. Bruno and Bethlehem have a small convent at Mesa Chorio served by the parish priest of Paphos.[5] A recently constructed hospice provides palliative care, regardless of nationality or religious persuasion.[6]

There is also a Catholic presence through chapels and chaplains serving British military personnel, staff and dependents in the Sovereign Base Areas of the island that were established in 1960.

On March 16, 2024, in Nicosia, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa consecrated Msgr. Bruno Varriano, OFM, as Bishop, the first Catholic bishop in Cyprus in 340 years.[7]

Sacred sites in Cyprus

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The Catholic Chrysopolitissa Church, Paphos

Many of the religious sites in Cyprus can be traced to early Byzantine foundations,[8] built before the East-West Schism between Rome and Constantinople in the 11th century. Their architecture and iconography reveal a profound influence on ecclesial building traditions still in use in the Cypriot Orthodox Church. In the Middle Ages, Cyprus was ruled by a Frankish aristocracy, the Lusignan dynasty. They favoured the Gothic style when establishing cathedrals and monasteries. The former Catholic Augustinian Cloister of Bellapais near Kyrenia was transferred to Orthodox Church authorities when the Ottomans conquered Cyprus at the end of the 16th century.[9] Other Gothic churches were converted to mosques, for example Saint Sophia Cathedral, now Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia), and Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta, now the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΞΕΝΕΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗΣ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΠΕΤΡΟΥΠΟΛΗ - Γενικές Πληροφορίες". www.mfa.gov.cy. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  2. ^ "St Mary of Graces Catholic Church, Larnaca, Cyprus". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  3. ^ "St Catherine Catholic Church, Limassol". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. ^ "St. Paul's Catholic Parish Paphos". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  5. ^ "The Latin Catholic Parish of Paphos (the Church by St. Paul's Pillar)". Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Archangel Michael Hospice". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  7. ^ "After 340 years... Msgr. Bruno Varriano, Bishop to the Island of Cyprus". Archived from the original on 2024-03-19. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  8. ^ "The Latin Catholic Church of Pahpos". Archived from the original on 2007-03-13. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Bellapais Abbey". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
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