On the second Sunday of Lent, March 28, an official doxology was performed at the Holy Temple of the Annunciation of the Virgin, in Perth, for the 200 years since the Greek Revolution of 1821 by Bishop Elpidios of Kyanes.
Towards the end of the Divine Liturgy Bishop Elpidios of Kyanes referred to the decisive role of the Church in the national rebirth. The Greek Consular Authorities, representatives of St. Andrew’s Grammar School, and other representatives of associations and fraternities were present.
“The Greek Revolution probably would not have taken place, if in the four hundred years of slavery, the Church, through priests and monks, did not take action to keep alive the faith in Christ, the Greek language, our national identity and conscience, and love for the enslaved homeland”, underlined the Bishop of Kyanes and continued: “The Church gave her blood for freedom. Patriarchs, Hierarchs, and several priests and monks with their own blood watered the tree of freedom, such as St. Gregory the Fifth, Patriarch of Constantinople, who was arrested at the beginning of the Revolution, on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1821, after Easter Liturgy. He was hanged in front of the main gate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which has remained closed for the last two hundred years.”
The Bishop of Kyanes then reminded the faithful that there is a bond between the feast of the Annunciation and the Greek Revolution which is freedom. On the feast of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel announced the joyful message that Christ will be born and will free the human race from sin, and on the anniversary of the Revolution of 1821, we celebrate freedom from four hundred years of slavery.
Bishop Elpidios also stressed to the faithful that this double celebration reminds the modern man of the importance of freedom that belongs to all.
This was followed by a memorial service at the Commonwealth Cenotaph of Kings Park, where Bishop Elpidios laid a wreath for the fallen on behalf of Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
Source: vema.com.au
