More than 9,000 Orthodox faithful filled the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney Theatre on Sunday, October 6 to take part in a historic Patriarchal Divine Liturgy presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The sacred liturgical event was concelebrated with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Assistant Bishops and clergy, and was held to mark the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA).
Among those present were a number of official guests including the NSW Premier Chris Minns; the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper; the Greek Deputy Minister of Culture, Iason Fotilas; the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis; the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; Ambassadors and Consul Generals from Romania, Georgia and Ukraine; and other Federal and State ministers.
Starting at 7am, faithful started drifting into the ICC Sydney Theatre for the Divine Liturgy before the expected arrival of His All-Holiness at 9am. When the Ecumenical Patriarch arrived, he was flanked by Archbishop Makarios and the NSW Premier, and was greeted by a ‘Guard of Honour’ from youth dressed proudly in traditional Greek costumes.
Following an intricate Divine Liturgy accompanied by the moving chanting of chanters from across Australia, there were a number of speeches and important announcements made.
Premier Minns spoke first and highlighted the significance of the GOAA celebrating its 100th anniversary, noting the excitement among the state’s Orthodox communities. He also acknowledged the foundational role of the Orthodox community in NSW, strengthened by their contributions over generations.
In his speech, Archbishop Makarios spoke of how the GOAA had, in the past, been harmed and eroded by “secular ideas and ideologies” which created “unbearable passions and wounds, schisms and apostasies.” Despite this, he said, the GOAA is “now moving on the path of unity, harmony and the overcoming of the grievances of the past” thanks to the approval of the Archdiocese’s new Constitution.
The Holy and Sacred Synod unanimously approved the new Constitution of the GOAA at a meeting convened at the Phanar in Turkey on Thursday, August 29. The meeting was presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop Makarios was also present at the time.
“History has recorded… the many benefactions of Your God-beloved All-Holiness,” the Archbishop said on Sunday.
“This includes the granting of the new Constitution, the establishment of the Diocese, the formation of the Holy Eparchial Synod, your current blessed visit to Oceania, and numerous other contributions that cannot be counted. It has witnessed the renewal and birth of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia under Patriarch Bartholomew.”
His All-Holiness also spoke about the new Constitution in his speech and provided more details as to what it entailed. He said although the Greek diaspora in Australia maintain their faith and ancestral traditions, and that the local Church is now thriving, this wasn’t always the case.
“The Church has often prioritised the pastoral needs of the faithful over its strict adherence to canonical accuracy,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said.
“This has also occurred in the administrative structure of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the local Communities, where there has been a disproportionate involvement of our lay brothers beyond canonical limits, with the well-known consequences and distortions of the past, as well as the schisms within the Communities, which continue to affect the Archdiocese.”
His All-Holiness said Archbishop Makarios “sought to address and correct these difficulties and canonical deviations” and with the support of a team of selected scholars, Bishops and legal advisors, he prepared the new Constitution for the GOAA.
“It is an excellent document, in every respect, which not only addresses the contemporary administrative and pastoral needs of the Archdiocese, but at the same time reinstates absolute canonical order in its structure and governance,” he said.
“It articulates in the clearest manner the ecclesiastical dependency of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia on the Ecumenical Patriarchate and strengthens the legal “status quo” of the Patriarchate in relation to the Commonwealth of Australia.”
His All-Holiness concluded his impassioned speech by handing the approved Constitution to His Eminence, who waved it proudly in the air with a huge smile.
Next, His All-Holiness welcomed 12 males to the stage to anoint them with the position of Archon of the Holy and Great Church of Christ. Among the new Archons were Professor Vrasidas Karalis, Theodosios Penklis, Ioannis Mitrothanasis, Efstathios Kondylios, Panagiotis Sachtouris, Tony Tsourdalakis, Mario Kalogiannis, Dimitrios Athanasios Limnios, Panagiotis Demourtzidis, Vladimir Devrelis, Antonis Michael, and Christos Diamantis.
These Archons will form part of a new initiative established by Archbishop Makarios known as the ‘Order of Christ the Saviour,’ which is the Order of the Archons of the Ecumenical Throne in Australia. The new initiative will be placed under the presidency of Archon Andrew Liveris AO.
Following the Archon announcement, Professor Vrasidas gave a small speech thanking His All-Holiness for bestowing them with the honour. The Patriarchal Divine Liturgy concluded with the offering of Holy Communion to those present.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
