Now that the island’s economy is on a path towards recovery, coming out of years of gloom, the stock exchange is living a much-need revival and there seems to be a speck of progress on the political front, it is time that the Church of Cyprus and the Holy Synod that comprises its leadership, act wisely and choose the next Archbishop who will bring harmony and unity to its people.
The poor turnout in Sunday’s initial round suggests that people no longer turn to the church for spiritual direction, while the in-fighting between the main candidates, added to the corruption that ruled in previous years, has cause permanent damage to the reputation of the once-powerful. The public has simply lost faith in its elder and wise men of the cloth.
The college of electors will twice be called upon to go through similar motions with the aim of electing the new Archbishop by mid-November whose first action should be to start the healing process and reunite the Church in order to rebuild the foundations of this establishment.
Public corporations are being obliged (and in some case imposed upon) to introduce modern methods of good governance, transparency and uphold shareholder interest.
The same should be true for the Church of Cyprus that has a significant role to play in the future of this land, but must act wisely to ensure that this nation prospers and moves ahead, as opposed to staying attached to ideas from bygone days.
Cyprus has been a full member of the European Union for the past two years and is headed towards a smooth adoption of the single currency. Issues that still require dialogue, negotiation and improvements remain on the table.
Even the Church-owned enterprises are obliged to introduce modern methods of management, but the primary owners refuse to reform or accept progress.
If the new spiritual leader is not prepared to become a modern-day manager, then he would best be left alone and witness the demise of society that is witnessing increased crime, rising rate of drugs abuse, violence and corruption.
If the Financial Times has introduced the FTSE 4 Good index of politically correct and ethical corporations, why can’t the Church of Cyprus adopt such novel ideas. After all, it is supposed to be the calling of the clerics to teach good, ethics and love.
