With the beginning of this holy period, after the end of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy which was performed by Bishop Elpidios of Kyanes, a big event was held in the hall of the Archdiocese of Perth, at the urging and blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, a speech for the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, on the topic: “The Offer of the Clergy during the Ottoman occupation in Greece”, by Hierodeacon Athanasios Athanasiadis.
The event was honored by the presence of Bishop Elpidios of Kyanes, and the Consul of Greece in Perth, Georgia Karasiotou.
The speaker began with an introductory reference to the sacrifice of the New Martyrs and stressed the contribution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the salvation of the Nation by preserving the Orthodox faith, preserving the Greek language, respecting customs and traditions.
He then presented the missionary work of Saint Cosmas of Aetolia, who founded more than 200 schools, as well as the martyrdom of Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V for the freedom of the Nation. He also continued with a reference to the Germanοs III of Old Patras for the proclamation of the Greek Revolution in the Holy Lavra, as well as to the struggle and the sacrifice of Archbishop Kyprianos of Cyprus.
In the end, he referred to the words of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, for the contribution of the Church to the Greek Revolution. He had emphasized that: “The Orthodox Church was the one that, not without struggles, not without sacrifices and blood, kept the flame of faith burning and preserved the national conscience of the Greeks, throughout the Turkish occupation…The Revolution is a historical event, but we must not forget that it is also an ecclesiastical event. We can not separate the Greek Revolution from the Church. The Church led the Greek Revolution.
The event was adorned with the official advertising trailer of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia for the celebration of 200 years, as well as with a video of the tribute of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the closed gate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where Saint Gregory V was hanged on Easter Sunday 1821.
Closing the event, Bishop Elpidios of Kyanes thanked the Hierodeacon Athanasios Athanasiadis and invited the Consul of Greece, Georgia Karasiotou, for a short greeting.
Source: vema.com.au
