In light of recent unfounded and untrue allegations concerning the resignation of Bishop Emilianos of Meloa, the Holy Archdiocese of Australia wishes to inform its faithful of the following:
In March 2023, then Archiepiscopal Vicar of Brisbane, Bishop Emilianos of Meloa, sent a resignation letter to Archbishop Makarios of Australia. The letter, marked as a “first draft,” contained numerous misinterpretations, unfounded assumptions, and personal judgments that did not reflect reality. It also included allegations on behalf of other Bishops, which they categorically denied as baseless and unrealistic.
Shortly thereafter, Bishop Emilianos issued a written apology to all Bishops, stating: “Fathers, I have just spoken with the Elder. I apologized and the resignation letter, which was only a draft, is not valid. The Elder forgave me. I learned a good lesson. Thank God.”
Despite the clear retraction and apology, some media outlets, known for their biased and systematic attacks on the Church, have continued to reproduce the contents of the draft letter in bad faith. To set the record straight, the Holy Archdiocese of Australia has attached the original resignation letter in Greek.
The Archdiocese, Archbishop, and Bishops firmly deny the claims made in the alleged resignation letter and reserve the right to take legal action if the malicious reproduction of false and slanderous allegations persists.
The Holy Archdiocese of Australia remains steadfast in its mission to support the spiritual upliftment of Orthodox Christians in the country, providing moral and material assistance, and fostering the Christian way of life as is proper and required.
Source: greek.vema.com.au / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
