New archbishop in Cyprus

The Greek Church of Cyprus has a new leader, Archibishop Chrysostomos II.

During Sunday's ceremony, Chrysostomos was fitted with a red robe - a royal privilege handed down to Cypriot Archbishops by the Byzantine emperor Zeno almost 1600 years ago.

 
He then signed his name in red ink in the Code of the Archbishopry - a book covering the major events in the church's history - before he was presented with the imperial scepter by a member of the Holy Synod - the church's governing body.

 
His right to sign in red ink and hold a scepter, instead of an Episcopal staff, were also privileges conferred by Zeno in recognition of the church's self-governing status.

The "'red' robe" is in the fact the 'imperial purple', reserved to the emperors, and the archbishop's right to sign his name in 'red' ink presumably also mirrors one of the imperial privileges.  It is wonderful that the imperial flag flies still at Mount Athos, and that the Cypriot archbishops bear an imperial sceptre, however questionable the Orthodox theology of the proper relations between church and state may be. 

The former head of the Cypriot church, Archbishop Chrysostomos I, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease; a special synod led by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in May determined to install a successor.