“The cooperation, the collective effort, and the blessing of God provide solutions to problems,” said Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece immediately after the Christmas Divine Liturgy, as he wished everyone a Merry Christmas.
The Archbishop celebrated the Mystery of the Eucharist at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, with Bishop Nektarios of Thespiae concelebrating the Divine Liturgy.
The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, MP Maximos Charakopoulos, and regional councillors were in attendance.
The Archbishop’s Christmas message was read by Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese, Archimandrite Varnavas Theocharis.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Archbishop wished everyone a Merry Christmas and noted that where there is cooperation, joint effort, and God’s blessing, solutions to problems can be found.
He expressed his wish for the new year to embody these shared values, emphasizing that it is Christ, who was born today, who helps, blesses, and provides solutions.
Here is the full message of the Archbishop for Christmas 2024:
My beloved brothers and children in the Lord,
The doxology of the Angels for the birth of the Savior Christ culminated in the proclamation and wish for a heavenly celebration and earthly peace.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.”
God, the “God of peace” and “Father of mercies,” emptied Himself and took on human nature, without sin, so that humanity might be deified.
However, it is within the realm of human history that evil reveals its power— unjust pursuits, exploitation, injustice, wars, and suffering. Humanity is always the victim.
We witness with sorrow the bloodshed in various parts of the world and the unbearable calamities. Moreover, we experience evil in its daily manifestations: loneliness, indifference toward others, sorrow, and a sense of meaninglessness. The question sometimes turns into a cry: Why does evil exist in the world?
We are called to reverse this absurdity at every level of life. We must act now— becoming pioneers in every effort for peace, in social initiatives, in every noble human endeavor, and in every act of charity. Through Christ, we receive an infinite gift.
At the core of this gift is peace with God. Humanity can now transcend selfishness, self-love, and aggression. The path to peace with one another is open. In this light, the vision of world peace becomes the great and anticipated fruit of Christmas.
Prayer and the spiritual life stand as the culmination of our actions. At this time, this is our great duty. The battle against evil in the world demands that we live in the way of Christ— the way testified by the humble cave and the simple swaddling clothes.
It is the way shaped by the hostility of secular power at that time and the path of refuge. It is a way of humility and ultimate weakness, of bearing the pain of our brothers and sisters. This is the way to the fullness of existence, the mission of the believer within the journey of Creation toward the End Times and the Kingdom of God. “Let us see,” therefore, my brethren, “where Christ was born.”
My beloved brothers and children in the Lord,
Let us join the fight against the absurd. Let our prayer and life in the Spirit become the pinnacle of our fellowship. True peace springs from the Cave of Bethlehem. I wish everyone a Merry and blessed Christmas!
Christ is born; glorify the Lord!
THE ARCHBISHOP
† Ieronymos II of Athens
Photos: Christos Bonis
