Archbishop George of Cyprus delivered a message on Friday, emphasizing the imperative need for continued vigilance to safeguard the essence of Hellenism in Cyprus.
Addressing the audience at the event commemorating the 1950 Unionist Referendum, organized by the EOKA Fighters’ Associations 1955-1959, the EOKA Historical Memory Council, and the EOKA Liberation Struggle Foundation, the Archbishop expressed deep concern about the current challenges facing the nation.
He stressed the critical nature of the moment, asserting that in the absence of an independent state, the threats to Hellenism in Cyprus are unprecedented. Archbishop George outlined various pressing issues, including “national discoloration, demographic collapse, productive erosion, cultural decline, alteration of the demographic profile in free areas, and a disconnection from Orthodox tradition and linguistic roots”. He urged the people to remain vigilant, emphasizing that a threatened nation cannot afford complacency.
Highlighting his regret over the House of Representatives’ recent stance, which he thinks that is influenced by external pressures, the Archbishop condemned the decision to omit the reference to the 1950 decision for the union of Cyprus with Greece in school textbooks.
He spoke of the visits of Greek Cypriots to Turkish-occupied areas in Cyprus and acknowledged the challenges posed by international pressures on the Cypriot side. Despite these challenges, he called for joint efforts between Greece and Cyprus, along with the support of Greeks worldwide, to assert the unwavering claim of the Cypriot people for the rights enjoyed by other Europeans and the free world.
“If, God forbid, the state ever gives up to pressure, the Church will not hesitate to bear the burden of the four thousand-year history of Hellenism in Cyprus,” the Archbishop pointed out.
Archbishop George concluded by urging everyone to reflect with gratitude on the pivotal figures of the 1950 Unionist Referendum, particularly Archbishop Makarios II and the Holy Synod of that era, recognizing their unwavering commitment to the cause.
Source: CNA, sigmalive.com / Article translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
