# Catholic Church in Cyprus

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Catholic_Church_in_Cyprus
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Catholic_Church_in_Cyprus.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Cyprus
> Source revision: 1336226054
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Part of a series on the Catholic Church by country Africa Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia Somaliland South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Asia Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan Kazakhstan Korea North Korea South Korea Kyrgyzstan Laos Macau Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam Middle East Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Georgia Abkhazia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Palestine Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen Europe Albania Andorra Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Great Britain England and Wales Scotland Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine North America Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Oceania Australia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu South America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Catholic Church portal v t e

Gothic-style church in [Famagusta](/source/Famagusta) (1360)

The Holy Cross Cathedral in [Nicosia](/source/Nicosia) in the early 20th century

The **Catholic Church in Cyprus** is part of the worldwide [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), under the spiritual leadership of the [Pope](/source/Pope) in [Rome](/source/Holy_See).

## Description

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](/source/Maronite_Cypriots), under the pastoral care of [Joseph Soueif](/source/Joseph_Soueif), Archeparch of the [Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus](/source/Maronite_Catholic_Archeparchy_of_Cyprus), or [Latins](/source/Latin_Church), under the pastoral care of the [Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem](/source/Latin_Patriarch_of_Jerusalem), with a Patriarchal Vicar General. The Maronite Catholic community and the Roman Catholic community of [Cyprus](/source/Republic_of_Cyprus) (*Latinoi, Λατίνοι*) are two of the three recognised religious minorities of Cyprus, together with the [Armenians](/source/Armenians), according to the 1960 constitution,[1] and are represented in the Cypriot parliament.

The [Maronite Archbishopric](/source/Maronite_Catholic_Archeparchy_of_Cyprus) has 12 parishes in Cyprus:

- Parish of Our Lady of Grace in Nicosia

- Parish of Saint George in Kormakitis

- Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel in Αsomatos

- Parish of Saint Croix in Karpasha

- Parish of Saint Marina in Saint Marina

- Parish of Saint-Maron at Anthoupolis

- Parish of Saint-Marina of Kotsiatis

- Parish of Saint-Charbel in Limassol

- Parish of Saint Marina in Polemidia

- Parish of Saint Joseph in Larnaca

- Parish of Saint Kyriaki in Pafos

The Latin Patriarchal Vicariate for Cyprus has four parishes:

- The [Holy Cross church](/source/Church_of_the_Holy_Cross%2C_Nicosia) in [Nicosia](/source/Nicosia), with a dependent mission at the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in [Kyrenia](/source/Kyrenia), [Northern Cyprus](/source/Northern_Cyprus).

- The St. Mary of Graces Church in [Larnaca](/source/Larnaca).[2]

- The [St. Catherine Catholic Church](/source/St._Catherine's_Church%2C_Limassol) in [Limassol](/source/Limassol).[3]

- The St. Paul Catholic Church in [Paphos](/source/Paphos).[4]

The Sisters of St. Bruno and Bethlehem have a small convent at [Mesa Chorio](/source/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](/source/Akrotiri_and_Dhekelia) of the island that were established in 1960.

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

## Sacred sites in Cyprus

The Catholic Chrysopolitissa Church, [Paphos](/source/Paphos)

Many of the religious sites in Cyprus can be traced to early Byzantine foundations,[8] built before the [East-West Schism](/source/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](/source/Cypriot_Orthodox_Church#Religious_sites_in_Cyprus). In the Middle Ages, Cyprus was ruled by a Frankish aristocracy, the [Lusignan](/source/Lusignan) dynasty. They favoured the Gothic style when establishing cathedrals and monasteries. The former Catholic Augustinian Cloister of [Bellapais](/source/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)](/source/Selimiye_Mosque_(Nicosia)), and Saint Nicholas Cathedral in [Famagusta](/source/Famagusta), now the [Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque](/source/Lala_Mustafa_Pasha_Mosque).

## See also

- [Religion in Cyprus](/source/Religion_in_Cyprus)

- [Christianity in Cyprus](/source/Christianity_in_Cyprus)

- [Catholic Church in Greece](/source/Catholic_Church_in_Greece)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΞΕΝΕΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗΣ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΠΕΤΡΟΥΠΟΛΗ - Γενικές Πληροφορίες"](http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/consulate/consulate_spb.nsf/cgsp18_gr/cgsp18_gr?OpenDocument). *www.mfa.gov.cy*. Retrieved 2021-05-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["St Mary of Graces Catholic Church, Larnaca, Cyprus"](http://www.cypruscatholicchurch.org/larnaca). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["St Catherine Catholic Church, Limassol"](http://www.cypruscatholicchurch.org/limassol). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["St. Paul's Catholic Parish Paphos"](http://www.stpauls-catholic-parish-paphos.com/). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The Latin Catholic Parish of Paphos (the Church by St. Paul's Pillar)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070310221723/http://www.paphoscatholic-churches.com/). Archived from [the original](http://www.paphoscatholic-churches.com/) on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Archangel Michael Hospice"](http://www.archangel-michael-hospice.com/). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["After 340 years... Msgr. Bruno Varriano, Bishop to the Island of Cyprus"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240319215013/https://www.lpj.org/en/news/after-340-years-msgr-bruno-varriano-bishop-to-the-island-of). Archived from [the original](https://www.lpj.org/en/news/after-340-years-msgr-bruno-varriano-bishop-to-the-island-of) on 2024-03-19. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Latin Catholic Church of Pahpos"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070313153740/http://www.paphoscatholic-churches.com/overview.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.paphoscatholic-churches.com/overview.htm) on 2007-03-13. Retrieved 9 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Bellapais Abbey"](http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/city/kyrenia/bellapais/abbey.htm). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

## External links

- [The Latin Catholic Church of Cyprus](http://www.cypruscatholicchurch.org/)

- [The Maronite Eparchy of Cyprus](http://maroniteparchy.org.cy/en/)

- [The Holy Cross Church in Nicosia](http://holy-cross-nicosia.com/)

v t e Catholic Church in Cyprus Active dioceses Latin: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Maronite: Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus Historical dioceses Latin: Archdiocese of Nicosia Diocese of Famagusta Diocese of Paphos Diocese of Limassol Cathedrals Maronite: Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, Nicosia Churches Latin: Church of the Holy Cross, Nicosia St. Catherine's Church, Limassol St. Mary's Church, Larnaca Saints Epiphanius of Salamis John the Merciful See also Apostolic Nunciature to Cyprus Maronite Cypriots Cypriot Arabic Custody of the Holy Land List of parishes of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Terra Santa College

v t e Catholic Church in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Catholicism portal Europe portal

v t e Catholic Church in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Palestine Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau Category Asia portal

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Catholic Church in Cyprus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Cyprus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Cyprus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.