On Tuesday, October 7, Archbishop Makarios of Australia received the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for the Greek diaspora, Mr. Ioannis Loverdos.
On the first day of his multi-day tour of Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Loverdos visited the headquarters of the Holy Archdiocese in Sydney.
He was welcomed by the Bishops Athenagoras of Canberra; Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Christodoulos of Magnesia, and Christoforos of Kerasounta, Protosyncellus of the Holy Archdiocese, who showed him around the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos.
They then proceeded to the Archiepiscopal Office, where Archbishop Makarios warmly welcomed Mr. Loverdos. The archbishop briefed the distinguished visitor on the multifaceted work of the local church, whose priorities include strengthening the bonds between the Greek diaspora and the beloved homeland. They also discussed matters concerning the needs of the diaspora and the potential for further collaboration between the Holy Archdiocese and the Greek state.
The constructive meeting was attended by the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos; the Consul General in Sydney, Georgios Skemperis; and the Deputy Minister’s accompanying General Secretaries from the Greek Ministry of Interior: Athanasios Balerbas, General Secretary of Interior and Organization; and Dimitrios Karnavas, General Secretary of Citizenship.
Before leaving the Archiepiscopal Office, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs held an extensive private meeting with the Archbishop, during which they discussed matters concerning the Church and the State.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
