The Greek Community of New South Wales and the Australian State paid tribute to the heroes of the Battle of Crete during a solemn memorial event held on Saturday, May 18, at the Cenotaph of Martin Place in the heart of Sydney. As part of the event, Archbishop Makarios of Australia conducted a moving memorial service, which was followed by the solemn laying of wreaths.
In his address, Archbishop Makarios expressed heartfelt gratitude to the brave individuals who, with unwavering courage and selflessness, laid down their lives in defense of faith and homeland during the historic Battle of 1941. “They did not fight for the sake of glory or to conquer foreign lands; rather, they fought for the noble ideals of democracy, freedom, faith, justice, and human dignity,” he emphasized.
In addition to honoring the courageous Cretan inhabitants, the Archbishop expressed gratitude for the Australian soldiers, members of the ANZAC Corps, who displayed admirable courage and sacrificial spirit in defending the island. He emphasized that in that shared struggle between the inhabitants and the heroic Anzacs, bonds of friendship and solidarity were forged, connecting the peoples of Greece and Australia to this day.
Archbishop Makarios concluded his speech with an exhortation to pay substantial respect and honor to the heroes of the Battle of Crete: “Let us honor their sacrifice by honoring the freedom and democracy we enjoy today and ensuring that their legacy will be handed down unchanged to future generations.”
The delegation of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, headed by Vice Admiral Christos Sassiakos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, the Commercial Attaché of Greece in Australia, Chrysoula Prokopaki, the Deputy Minister of Defence of Australia, Matt Thistlethwaite, as a representative of the Federal Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, the Deputy Chief Ed Chan, as a representative of the Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley, the President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, Emmanuel Mountakis, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales, Haris Danalis, Presidents and representatives of other organizations and organizations of the Greek community, as well as representations of students of the Greek Orthodox Colleges of Sydney, attended the ceremony.
