“The Orthodox faith for Cuba is not primarily a thing of the past, but primarily a thing of the future,” declared Archbishop Makarios of Australia from the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas in Havana, where he served on Sunday, January 26, marking the culmination of the official celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the church’s consecration and dedication to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Archbishop, who represented the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Mother Church of Constantinople during the anniversary events, served together with Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, as well as Bishops Athinagoras of Myrina and Timotheos of Assos.
The presence of the President of Cuba, Mr. Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermúdez, accompanied by his wife and Cuban government officials, was an honor. The Archbishop, addressing the President, conveyed the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s heartfelt gratitude for the State’s continued care and respect for the Orthodox Church. “For us, this Church is a great blessing,” he emphasized, adding, “The Orthodox Church will never forget this blessing, and our Ecumenical Patriarch prays constantly for the well-being of the Cuban people.” The President of Cuba responded warmly, expressing his respect for the Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Also present was the Ambassador of Greece to Havana, Mr. Theodoros Tsakiris.
Recalling the historic event of the rebuilding of the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, Archbishop Makarios noted that it was made possible by the great vision of two great men: the late Fidel Castro, the historic leader of Cuba, and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. “The personalities and prestige of these two leaders played a decisive role in achieving the impossible,” he noted. He then expressed his gratitude to all those who worked openly and silently for this cause: the late King Constantine; Eusebio Leal Spengler, Metropolitan of Vizyi; the Bishop of Mexico, Athinagoras; and the architects Nikolaos and Constantinos Fournaris.
In conclusion, Archbishop Makarios emphasized that “in Cuba, the good and noble seed of the Gospel has been sown and is bearing fruit” and expressed the Mother Church’s great expectations for the future. He also conveyed the Patriarchal Blessing to all and personally expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality and love he received during his visit.
It should be noted that during the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the ordination to the diaconate of Monk Makarios of the Holy Monastery of Saint Spyridon, located on the outskirts of Havana. “Today is doubly historic because the first Cuban monk is being ordained,” he said in his introductory remarks, congratulating the local hierarch, Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico and Bishop Athinagoras of Myrina, for their care and efforts in establishing the first Orthodox monastery in Cuba.
Then, addressing the newly ordained deacon, he emphasized that from the moment he received his monastic tonsure from Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, he was effectively recorded in the history of the local Church. He then urged him to let the virtues and works of their common patron, St. Makarios the Great, guide him on his spiritual journey and advised him to love and respect his hierarchy and to work for the Church with obedience and self-sacrifice.
At the end of the ordination, the chant of “Axios” resounded in the Holy Church of St. Nicholas in the historic center of Havana, and the newly ordained deacon received the warm congratulations of the Archbishop, the other bishops, the clergy, and the faithful, including his relatives and friends, who followed the proceedings with emotion.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
