Archbishop Chrysostomos II’s miracle and Cyprus
Have you ever heard of the blood miracle of St. Januarius (also known as San Gennaro)? Januarius is a saint and martyr in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Legend has it he was bishop of Benevento beheaded at the hands of Emperor Diocletianus in 305 A.D. at Pozzuoli. Later, his body was transferred to Naples, of which he is at present the patron saint.In 1389, it was first reported that the clotted blood of Januarius all of a sudden had liquefied. Since then, although not officially recognized by the Catholic Church, thousands of Christians assemble to witness in the Cathedral of Naples how the blood of Januarius in a sealed glass vial miraculously liquefies before their very eyes each year. This ceremony takes place in May and December as well as on St. Januarius’ feast day in September.
Just recently, nevertheless, Chrysostomos II, Orthodox archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus, was reported to have said that the liquefaction miracle, in an usual way, took place when he visited the Cathedral of Naples as part of his official visit to the Holy See last month. This unexpected miracle, he then added, presumably not only shows the island is theirs but also the churches in Cyprus will soon be liberated from Turkish occupation.
The result of a miracle or the EU?
At the time I read his holiness’ statement I was a bit confused. I really could not understand whether it was the miracle blood of St. Januarius or the twisted strategies of the European Union that would help his holiness realize their aspirations. Please do not criticize me for calling the EU policies twisted.’ Because even Turkey-skeptic German Chancellor Angela Merkel has finally admitted that it was a mistake for the EU to accept Greek Cyprus as a full member of the bloc in 2004. Such policies, I strongly believe, make it difficult for the Greek Cypriots to reconcile with their past and to come to terms with their present.
In the near past, I held naïve hopes that objective as well as far-sighted political circles in the southern part of the island would at least initiate a process of self-critique and introspection. In contrast to my humble expectations, we have rather seen a concerted outcry from almost all Greek Cypriot politicians, further diminishing hopes of a resolution to the current deadlock. In that regard, one of the most interesting books I have read so far is one by Niyazi Kızılyürek that contains a fluent interview of nearly 300 pages with Glafkos Clerides, a former Greek Cypriot leader who was defeated in the presidential elections of 2003 by our dear old friend Tassos Papadopoulos. Readers will remember well that his administration is heavily credited with Southern Cyprus’ ascension to the EU.
In several parts of the interview, Clerides pointed out the vital difference between being the national leader of a community on the one hand, and a statesman on the other. Having failed to reconcile with their past as well as a belief in being the only victim in the dispute, he highlighted how every attempt at a resolution to the Cyprus problem, including the much-speculated Annan Plan, were unfortunately rejected by the Greek Cypriot side.
Papadopoulos’ line of thinking, or archaic understanding of a resolution precisely exemplifies this psychology prevalent in the south. For Papadopoulos, a resolution is no resolution unless it is totally pro-Greek Cypriot. Thus he is not only resisting Turkey’s proposals but also any attempt for change on the island. He is playing for time. He calculates that Turkey’s EU bid, or more precisely, the process, will help him elicit from Ankara as many key concessions as he can. He is trying to exploit the confusion within the EU about future relations with Turkey. What gives him confidence about dealing with any undesirable and unexpected developments is his right of veto.
My miracle
In such a milieu, ending the isolation of northern Cyprus was essential. The EU should have kept its promises, not only for its rapidly hemorrhaging credibility in the eyes of the Cypriot Turks but also for demonstrating to Papadopoulos that his non-conciliatory approach would not be tolerated anymore. However, the current situation with regard to these promises by the EU remind me of what former U.S. president Bill Clinton’s aide George Stephanopolou once ironically said: The President has kept all the promises he intended to keep.
Combined with the EU’s twisted and only face-saving policies, this non-conciliatory approach by Papadopoulos (and his comrades-in-arms alike) makes me very pessimistic. Last night, out of desperation I felt the need to resort to appealing to a higher power for an immediate resolution of the Cyprus conflict, preferably one in favor of the Turks. I hoped to get a sign similar to that of Archbishop Chrysostomos II’ miracle I mentioned above.
In the morning, however, I woke up with this little anecdote in mind: In a small town, people were warned to evacuate their homes and immediately move to another location because of an approaching hurricane. Some escaping by car stopped at the mosque (or a church if you prefer) and called for the imam (or the priest) to come with them. The imam, however, refused their offer, telling them he had faith in God answering his prayers for safety. Some hours later, the town was flooded by a tidal surge caused by the approaching storm and people were forced to flee by boat. Again some townspeople called on the imam to come with them, but he also told them he intended to stay put, as he had faith God would save him. As the floodwaters rose rapidly it was clear the town was in the grip of a major catastrophe. With the water now a treacherous torrent a helicopter was sent in a last-ditch effort to rescue the imam. The team dropped a ladder down to him but he once more refused assistance.
Eventually, the imam met his end as a result of the disaster. When he came before God, he started to complain, and asked reproachfully, why God had allowed him to die. God was furious at this and boomed, I sent you a car, but you didn’t get in. I even sent you a boat and a helicopter as well but you still didn’t understand. If you are that foolish, what more could I do for you?
The question must be asked, my dear readers, how many more clear opportunities to end the division on the island of Cyprus, like the Annan Plan, are likely to turn up on the doorstep. Can our friends in Southern Cyprus afford to reject any more offers of a way out while holding out for a miracle?