The priest at the Archangel Michael Church in Platanistasa, faces 20 criminal charges related to excessive noise from church bells and unauthorised use of loudspeakers between July and September 2024.
The Nicosia District Court granted a defence request for adjournment after the priest’s lawyer indicated they had not yet received prosecution witness statements.
The case was postponed until April 8, when the suspect will be required to respond to the charges.
The court ordered the priest to sign a €2,000 bail agreement to ensure his appearance at the next hearing.
The charges include common nuisance violations and unauthorised amplification equipment use.
Evidence reportedly includes audio recordings of church bells made by complainants and submitted to police.
The prosecution has listed ten witnesses, including eight community residents—among them the community leader—and two police officers.
The case appears to stem from ongoing disputes between the priest and members of the new community council, as well as residents living near the church, regarding bell ringing duration, loudspeaker use, and other issues.
These disagreements reportedly prompted formal complaints to the Morphou Bishopric.
In a related development, the church’s new ecclesiastical committee announced to churchgoers last Sunday that a decision had been made to limit bell ringing to between 30 seconds and one minute only.
The priest, who is currently on sick leave and not officiating at the church, had previously requested guidelines from the diocese regarding appropriate bell ringing duration but reportedly received no response.