His Beatitude Archbishop of Nova Justianian and all Cyprus Mr Georgios (born George Papachrystomou) was born in Athienou in 1949.
He graduated from the Pancyprian Gymnasium in 1967. Between 1968 and 1972, he studied Chemistry at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens as a scholarship holder of the State Scholarships Foundation. In 1980, he received the Degree in Theology from the same university. Subsequently, he carried out post-graduate studies in Chemistry and Theology in England.
In 1984, he was ordained deacon and the following year he was ordained priest and Archimandrite. In 1994, he became Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus.
Alongside his ecclesiastical duties, he served as a Chemistry teacher in Secondary Education, and, in 1993, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Principal.
In 1989, following his arrest and abuse by Turkish troops during an anti-occupation demonstration, he lodged an appeal against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights. His appeal resulted in a decision by the European Council condemning, for the first time, Turkey for the violation of the human rights in Cyprus and imposing a monetary fine.
In 1996, he was elected Bishop of Arsinoi and, a decade later, Metropolitan of Paphos. From these positions he represented the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus at many Pan-Orthodox Conferences and, also, in the Dialogue with the Roman Catholics. Moreover, he was the president of the Bioethics and Education committees of the Holy Synod.
In November 2022, following the death of Archbishop Chrysostomos II, he assumed the position of Custodian of the Archbishop’s Throne. In December of the same year, he was elected Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus.