Monastic Life in Cyprus: Then and Now
Cyprus has been justly called the ‘Island of Saints’, for since the birth of Christianity numerous ascetics, anchorite and stylite monks, have lived an ascetic existence on the island. It would appear that the monastic community of Cyprus was enriched from time to time by the arrival of monks from Syria, Egypt and Asia Minor, when military conflicts and the appearance of Arabs and later Turks in those regions made the sojourn of Christian elements there unsafe. The great number of monastic cells, tombs and funeral crypts as well as sarcophagi related to these first ascetics that have been preserved up to the present day provide archaeological confirmation of the historical references that were recorded mainly on manuscripts, in topographical nomenclature but also through the oral traditions of Cyprus.
After the Iconoclastic period, monasticism takes on a more organised form and is closely connected with the central authority of the state of Byzantium, as can be deduced from the direct involvement of the emperors and state officials in the construction and foundation of monasteries. Monasteries such as that of St. John Chrysostom in the village of Koutsoventi, currently occupied by Turkish troops, the Virgin of Kykkos in the Troodos range, the Virgin of Forvios in Nikitari and others, seem to have been directly or indirectly linked to Constantinople. Similar conclusions can be drawn concerning the monastic institutions on the island, the names of which (for example, the monasteries of Virgin of Krinos, of the Pillars, Saint George of the Manganians, of Agros etc.) are identical with historic monasteries within or near Constantinople.
The prosperity of Orthodox monasticism in Cyprus suffered a serious blow from the invasion and occupation of the island, initially by Richard the LionHeart, the Knights Templar, then followed by the Lusignans and the Venetians. The regime of enforced unitism imposed on the Orthodox Church of Cyprus with the obligatory submission to the Pope, the confiscation of Orthodox monastic property, the eviction of Orthodox monks and the occupation of the monasteries by monks from the various Roman Catholic monastic orders that arrived in Cyprus, as well as the persecutions they suffered on account of their Orthodox beliefs, all constituted serious obstacles to the development of monasticism on the island.
During the period of Turkish rule, relations were re-established between the Church of Cyprus and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and with hesitant steps monastic existence began to develop afresh, despite the onerous financial conditions imposed by the Ottoman rulers of Cyprus. On the one hand, the contributions of the Orthodox communities assisted significantly in the economic recovery of the Church of Cyprus; on the other, the unbearable taxation imposed by the central Ottoman authorities led many residents either to islamisation in order to gain tax exemption, or to the gift of their property and goods to monasteries, who enjoyed tax relief. The gradual prosperity in monastic existence under Turkish rule is confirmed by the building reconstruction in monasteries and by the decoration of churches with new wall paintings and icons. However, the active participation and various kinds of support of the monasteries in the national liberation movement in Cyprus led the Turkish conquerors a little later to mass persecutions, arrests and executions among the Orthodox clergy, the climax being reached with the events of 1821.
Hopes for an improvement in the situation with the lease and later annexation of Cyprus to the British Crown were very quickly dashed and proven vain. The British colonials followed a similar policy of political control, intervention and displacement of Orthodox clerics due to the involvement of many monasteries and monks in the national liberation struggle of EOKA.
After the establishment of the Cyprus Republic (1960), the monasteries of Cyprus, upon enjoying the fruits of freedom, achieved impressive prosperity. In many crumbling monasteries, communities of men and women were established, which repaired and extended facilities in the buildings, restored churches and created veritable lighthouses and spiritual hearths of the monastic struggle and mystic existence.
The communities of Cyprus monasteries perform daily religious services, participating actively in the liturgical life of the Church. They offer hospitality and spiritual guidance to the Orthodox faithful, while at the same time strengthening their religious beliefs with the composition of anti-heretical and generally religious works, and with their living example through fasting and unremitting prayer.
Apart from their spiritual activities, Orthodox monks and nuns undertake a variety of manual occupations, the so-called ‘beggar service’. Over and above the care and good order of the church, they are concerned with handicrafts (for example, weaving, lace work etc), religious painting of icons or frescoes, the preparation of incense and wax; they are occupied with traditional artistic bookbinding, they take care of, and enrich, the monasteries’ libraries, undergo further training and maintain or copy manuscripts and old books. Many of the brothers and sisters also work in the fields of the monasteries, cultivating and harvesting the crop, mainly that of olives, fruit and grain; or, they are involved in floriculture. Animal husbandry is even today a means of financial support for many monasteries and a significant number of monks are also occupied with the breeding of lambs, as well as with bee-keeping.
The income among the monastic community from farming and stock breeding deaconship permits the smooth functioning of the monastery, the carrying out of charitable works, the issuing of spiritually edifying publications; and humanitarian aid is sent to our fellow human beings who are grieving and suffering in countries of the third world, as well as to war-torn areas of the planet.
The coenobitic way of life in the monasteries, that is, the co-existence of all monks under a common roof, sharing a common table and participating in monastic service, as well as receiving spiritual guidance from the Abbot or Abbess and the resident bishop – all constitute the main form of monastic life and asceticism in the monasteries of the island. Some of the monasteries of Cyprus have also preserved old traditions in their functioning with the ‘no-go’ institution, that is, in monasteries for men the presence of women is not permitted (for example, the Monastery of Stavrovouni), and in those for women the entrance of men is correspondingly banned.
Today, the monastic institutions for men (for example, Kykkos Monastery, those of Stavrovouni, Machairas and Saint Neophytou) or for women (Saint Eraclidios, Virgin of Amasgos, Saint Pandeleimon) constitute spiritual oases for the Christian, places of solace and spiritual support, as well as places of holy initiation, where every day a large number of believers go for spiritual support and communion with the divine.