Kyrillos II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Kyrillos Papadopoulos (Greek Κύριλλος Παπαδόπουλος) nicknamed Kyrillatsos (big Kyrillos) was bishop of Larnaca and between 1909-1916 Archbishop of Cyprus.

He was born under the Ottoman Empire, at Prodromos village in Limassol District in 1845 and died under British sovereignty, in 1916. He studied in Jerusalem at the Theological School of the Holy Cross (Θεολογική Σχολή του Τιμίου Σταυρού) between 1866-72. He was a teacher of the Greek School of Nicosia. He was elected legislature of Nicosia-Kyrenia but he gave up because he didn't find the name of himself in the election directories for vote. Then he was member of the Law Council of Cyprus between (1889-1911).

He was a Committee member of Paphos (1888-89)metropolis and then was elected Metropolitan of Kyrenia (1889-93). As a metropolitan of Kyrenia, he did big efforts to re-join the Linobabakoi (people who became muslims and were hided Christians) in the Orthodox Church of Cyprus.

After the death of the Metropolitan of Kitium (Larnaca), he was elected metropolitan of that metropolis. During his authority under that metropolis, the first Greek flag in Cyprus was risen officially in the Trooditissa Monastery in September 6, 1902. He was a founder of the Pancyprian Gymnasium (High School).

After the death of Sophronius II, he was elected Archbishop of Cyprus in 1909.

He was considered a staunch supporter for the departure of the British from the island of the union of Cyprus with Greece. He opponent Kyrillos III was more amenable to the British presence. Their antagonism flared after the British Crown Commissioner, Sir Charles Harman, passed a law regulating the election of the Archbishop, in 1907. The disagreement between the two Cypriot prelates eventually involved the Greek Patriarchates of Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria. The two religious leaders were finally re-concilled following the intervention of the Greek government, in February 1910.

After he gave up as Archbishop he became president of the Greek Educational Institutions in Cyprus until his death in 1916.