AKEL ON THE DECISIONS OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF CYPRUS

 

Statement of Georgios Loucaides, Press Spokesman of the C.C. of AKEL

 

7th March 2013, Nicosia

 

AKEL expresses respect to the right of the Holy Synod to express its own views and opinions on matters of concern to Cypriot society.

 

However, we once again stress that the leadership of the Church should be limited to fulfilling its spiritual role, respecting on its part the secularity of the state and the right of citizens to decide freely on matters that concern them and which fall in the context of their human rights.

 

The Republic of Cyprus does not have a theocratic regime, but is a modern, fully functioning state, which cannot accept anachronistic practices that are not present in any other European country.

 

Interventions in favour of specific parties and indeed the assertion of an institutional role on a number of issues of the state are anything but in line with what a modern state should be in the 21st century.

 

In particular, the assertion of an institutional role by the leadership of the Church on education issues cannot be accepted under any circmstances..

 

Furthermore, we can only express our strong disapproval regarding the insistence of the Church´s leadership on raising non-existent issues about the “Greek character” or not of our education.

 

The only real and crucial challenge for our education is whether we will move forward with determination to complete the implementation of the Educational Reform and the fulfillment of the vision for a modern, democratic and humane school that would allow Cyprus to be among the highest levels of Education in Europe and the world.

 

Consequently, we do not consider that respect for democratic or human rights is demonstrated when you force – and in violation of the legislation – school students to participate compulsory in the religious education lesson when they do not wish to.

 

Nor, do we believe, is it legitimate for the leadership of the Church to target any person, in this specific case the DHSY party MEP Andreas Pitsillides, indeed calling on him not to state his personal views when speaking as a Theologian. Regardless of the essence of any of Mr. Pitsillides´ views on the issues that the Holy Synod disagrees with him, we consider as aphoristic and anachronistic such approaches on the part of the leadership of the Church, which must prove in practice that it respects different opinion from a scientist-theologian.

 

In conclusion, we urge the Government and the President of the Republic to take a clear position on how they themselves deal with the role of the leadership of the Church and interventions of this nature.