By Con Charalambous
In what many describe as a sign of dire times for the island, the Panayia Kykkotissa (Virgin Mary of Kykkos) historic golden icon, one of the famous religious symbols across the Greek Orthodox world, is being invoked by Kykkos Metropolitan Nikiforos as drought is now reaching exasperating levels and many areas only have months left before water runs out.
So after 35 years, when the icon once again exited the monastery church, during one of the worst drought seasons on record, Nikiforos and the monastic order of Kykkos has decided that a litany and a prayer will be held around the monastery as an invocation to break the protracted dry spell.
This dramatic action in religious terms, given the significance of this icon for the faithful across the island, is described as an historic and emotionally charged moment for the country, seemingly unable to find solutions to what is fast becoming a quite existential national issue, with tragic water capacity in dams and new desalination plans more than a year away.
The Metropolitan Nikiforos decision to invoke the grace of Virgin Mary, is only the fourth time in history that the icon is lifted from the iconostasis, in itself, an event, as noted, which signifies the gravity of the situation.
Τhe miraculous icon had frequently been used in earlier times as an appeal to God during natural disasters or epidemics.