The Sunday of Orthodoxy was celebrated with splendor in Sydney, which commemorates the Restoration of the Holy Icons and the Triumph of the Orthodox faith over the iconoclasts.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. Joining him were Bishops Iakovos of Militoupolis and Bartholomew of Charioupolis, as well as Archimandrite Christoforos Krikelis of the Ecumenical Throne, Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese, and Hieromonk Antipas, Elder of the Cell of Saint Anne in Karyes, Mount Athos.
The Alternate Minister of Interior of Greece, Theodoros Livanios, the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, the Commercial Attaché Chrysoula Prokopaki, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia, Antonios Sammoutis, and the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, attended the service.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios said, “Indeed, today our Church celebrates a great victory,” he pointed out, “a victory that ensured the unity of the people.” On this occasion, he clarified that the impression that the Ecumenical Synods were convened exclusively on theological and doctrinal issues is incorrect.
“Throughout ecclesiastical history, numerous heresies have arisen,” he observed, “yet Ecumenical Councils were convened solely in response to heresies that threatened the unity of the Church.” “That’s why I insist on talking about unity,” he continued, “because, when unity is broken, it is the worst thing that can happen to the body of the people. This was a realization that the Church recognized from its earliest days and approached with profound sensitivity. The heresy of iconoclasm was a great challenge for the Church because it had divided the people into iconoclasts and iconophiles. And this victory that we celebrate today is a victory of the people.”
The Archbishop extended a warm welcome to the Alternate Minister of Interior of Greece, Livanios, emphasizing that his presence was yet another cause for celebration for both the local Church and the Greek Diaspora of Australia. Characterizing his visit to the fifth continent as honorary and emblematic of the ongoing care of the motherland for the Greek community in the Antipodes, the Archbishop conveyed his best wishes to the minister for abundant blessings from God in his personal life and endeavors. He also requested the minister to convey similar sentiments to the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the Greek Government.
The procession of the Holy Icons inside the Cathedral ensued, and before the Dismissal, passages from the Synodikon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council were read.
Translated by Thanos Chrysanthopoulos