Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia in October 2024.
This year marks 100 years since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
His All-Holiness will spend two weeks in Australia, meeting with Greek Australian and diaspora communities, Orthodox parishioners, political and interfaith leaders, and community groups.
Prime Minister Albanese will host His All-Holiness as a Guest of Government on 5 and 13 October. They will attend events together in Sydney and Melbourne that celebrate the milestone.
Australia is home to a significant Greek Orthodox community, with a population of over 400,000 people across the nation.
This will be His All-Holiness’ second visit to Australia as Ecumenical Patriarch—it has been 28 years since his last visit in 1996.
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was looking forward to welcoming His All-Holiness to Australia.
“Australian society is enriched by our diversity—it is one of our greatest attributes,” the Prime Minister said.
“The Greek Australian community is a vibrant part of Australia’s identity, involved in business, public service, politics, the arts and sport.”
“It is a joy to celebrate the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the contributions of the Greek community to our nation.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch will visit the cities of Sydney and Melbourne from Friday 4th October to Saturday 19th October 2024, and will participate in a series of commemorative events marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
In a message, Archbishop Makarios of Australia encouraged faithful to participate in the centenary celebrations.
“The current generations of our community have a rare opportunity to welcome, in the land where they have built their second homeland, the Patriarch of our Nation, the guardian of the Orthodox faith, and the history and traditions of our ancestors. In the venerable person of His All-Holiness, as well as in the exalted institution he represents, we see our past, present, and future,” the Archbishop said.
“I urge our devout and Christ-loving people to take full advantage of the forthcoming blessed presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch among us as an opportunity for spiritual renewal, strengthening, and inspiration in light of the many challenges we face in the second century of life and journey of our local Church.”
For more information on the events and seat reservations, where necessary, those interested can visit the website: https://patriarchvisit.org.au/
