Greek and Cypriot politicians and diplomats have issued messages to Australia’s Greek diaspora ahead of Orthodox Easter on Sunday, May 5.
Message by Greece’s Secretary General for Greeks Abroad, John Chrysoulakis
Dear compatriots,
On behalf of Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Giorgios Kotsiras, I want to send a warm message for Orthodox Easter.
To the large family of Greek immigrants all over the world, to all of you who stand beside us, especially on the great Christian feast days, we wish you a Kali Anastasi!
This Holy Week, Orthodoxy sends a unique message to the whole world: The triumph of Life over Death. For us Christians, this message is a source of joy and hope. The Resurrection expresses the defeat of darkness, the opening of the heart to our fellow man.
Greeks everywhere in the world are celebrating this year’s Easter by turning to its double message: Of the determination that the Week of the Passion symbolises, but also of the hope that comes from Light of the Resurrection. May the Resurrection mark the rebirth of all our hopes for peace and prosperity.
For all of us, faith is the most basic support and the most important refuge in the difficulties that we inevitably face every day. After all, this is one of the many reasons why Orthodoxy has always been an inexhaustible source of unity and harmony for Hellenism and Greeks, wherever they are.
The Deputy Minister thanks you all for your love for Greece. The contribution of the diaspora to Hellenism was, and still is, truly invaluable. We are proud of each and every one of you. Your overall presence honours both Greece and your new homeland.
We would like to assure you that we are always there for you, making every effort to listen to your concerns and needs. We face all challenges together.
We hope that the coming holy days will bring you all Health, Peace, Enlightenment and Love.
Happy Easter!
Message by the Ambassador of Greece in Australia, Stavros Venizelos:
I wish that this year’s Easter may give us all strength and joy. Its universal message is first and foremost a message of personal rebirth and love towards our fellow man. The celebration is reviving our hopes for peace and prosperity. I wholeheartedly wish to all Greek friends in Australia, a Happy Easter with your loved ones. Χρόνια πολλά!
Message by the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis:
Dear compatriots,
On the occasion of Orthodox Easter, I address to the diaspora my greetings and wishes for health, family, happiness and every success in whatever you undertake. I still wish, as we experience the Holy Passions and the miracle of the Resurrection, that we are able to all reflect together on how the risen Christ could become the centre of our lives, so that he directs our steps in the right direction.
As believers, we constantly experience the feeling of joy. The sorrow for the Crucifixion of our Lord is always followed by the joy of the Resurrection. It is for this reason that Christians, despite the futility that accompanies worldly things, are naturally optimistic, always anticipating eternal life, at the same time that they transform this optimism into a force for good works, for justice and solidarity with others. It is this optimism that we must keep in the difficult days in which we live, with one war following another, with people becoming inhuman, driven by religious and racial hatred or blind adherence to tyrants, who drive them to their deaths.
We also need this optimism in martyred Cyprus, which has been under Turkish occupation for 50 years. This July, we will all join our voices in finally demanding justice. 50 years of refugees, anguish for our missing persons, trampling of our altars and hearths, destruction of our churches and monuments. Our demand for a solution without foreign troops and guarantor rights is constantly met with Turkey’s refusal. But every new attempt by the international community for a solution, such as the process that started again slowly but surely this year, naturally revives our hopes.
Happy Easter everyone!
