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Your Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia,
Your Excellency Mr Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia,
Your Eminences, Your Graces,
Honourable Representatives of the Australian Public,
Reverend Clergy,
Distinguished Guests,
My beloved children in Christ,
It is with profound joy and heartfelt delight that we find ourselves here in this most beautiful ‘garden city’ of Melbourne, Victoria. The warmth and hospitality extended to our Modesty by the Greek faithful has been nothing short of extraordinary, filling our heart with immense gratitude and indebtedness for such kindness and benevolence.
We have equally been touched most profoundly by the magnanimous and amiable welcome, warmth and unalloyed hospitality that we have received by the Australian Government at all levels, and its citizens more broadly. We feel especially honoured that the Prime Minister of Australia is present today to enjoy and to share in these historically significant centenary celebrations for the life of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. And of course, we are deeply grateful to our fellow Brother in the Lord and our Spiritual Son, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, for making our visit to Australia possible, so that we could be here sharing in this joy.
We too, on our part, having come from the Sacred See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Queen of Cities, bring to all of you the heartfelt salutations and blessings of the Mother Church of Constantinople and our own personal greeting. Even though we might be geographically apart, nevertheless, we are all bound together in unbreakable unity and fellowship around our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in whom “though we might be many”, as the great Apostle to the Nations, St Paul reminds us in his epistle to the Romans, “are one body in Christ and individually members one of another” (Rom 12:5).
Moreover, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as its name suggests, welcomes all people, cares for all people, embraces all people, irrespective of nationality, ethnic background or race. It follows, therefore, that our joy, today, is all the more heightened, knowing that we find ourselves in a country with this same open embrace and respect for the dignity of every human person; that we find ourselves in this Great Nation whose “land abounds in nature’s things of beauty rich and rare” with the very same respect for the sacredness of creation, commensurate with that of the Great Church of Constantinople.
It goes without saying that we extend to you all a warm and heartfelt invitation to come and visit the All-Venerable See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This sacred place, steeped in history and spiritual significance, welcomes you all with arms wide open to come and experience the profound heritage and enduring traditions of the Christian faith, which traces its beginnings to the first-called of the apostles, Andrew. Your presence amongst us at the Phanar will be a blessing and an honour, enriching the precious legacy which we both preserve and cherish; and whose priceless treasures we seek to share with the entire world today.
At this moment, we are overcome with profound emotion, having just witnessed this splendid parade, which featured so many of the students at the day schools here in Melbourne; so many young people from the many parishes and communities of these two dynamic dioceses within the city of Melbourne. We are overcome with much delight having witnessed so many brotherhoods and Greek associations come together, united with one mind and heart to put on this truly moving event, befitting the occasion of the Archdiocese’s centenary anniversary. We are reminded of, and we identify with the words of the apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, who expressed, in one of his epistles that we “have no greater joy than this, than to hear that [our] children are walking in the truth [μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα]” (3 Jn 4). And by remaining within the Church, you remain within the truth, to the extent that the “Church of the living God” is “the pillar and bulwark of truth [στύλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας]” (1 Tim 3:15).
This magnificent parade today is a testament to the enduring spirit and devotion of all who have come to take part or simply to be present, united in an unwavering desire to follow faithfully in the heroic footsteps of your forebears. For this reason, our hope is strengthened today, knowing that the sacred traditions and values of those who have come before you will continue to be cultivated and grow from strength to strength in this blessed land.
The presence of all young people here today has particularly impressed us with their energy, with their enthusiasm, and commitment to our Orthodox faith, but has also spoken most eloquently to our heart that the Holy Archdiocese of Australia is most strongly ready for the future; for the next centenary chapter of her journey and progress here in Australia.
The participation of our young men and women in Church activities, their dedication to learning, and their eagerness to preserve the traditions of their forebears are commendable. But at the same time, their sincere desire to contribute in a substantial and critical way to society, and in a manner that reflects contemporary awareness and responsiveness is equally admirable. If Orthodox Christianity is to be true to her authentic tradition, she cannot be isolated from contemporary social and moral issues; she cannot remain disconnected from the modern world. Rather, Orthodox Christians are called to bear witness, in a spirit of openness, respectful to the particularity and uniqueness of all people.
Today, we behold a Church which is fully alive; a Church, we would say, that mirrors the vibrancy and fervour of the Holy Spirit, a strength that will sustain the vitality of the Church into the future. As precious and indispensable members of the Church and society, we exhort you to remain united; united around your Archbishop, whose ministry is essentially one which is called to unite and hold all things together through “the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3); his ministry is essentially one which aspires to empower all faithful in the name of Christ, “to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” (Eph 4:15-16).
It is our fervent hope, for all who have gathered here today, that your witness and show of unity may continue to grow from strength to strength as it is precisely this which will be the source of true joy in your lives and the source of abundant life (cf. Jn 10:10) for the world. May God bless and sustain you all!