Archbishop Makarios of Australia referred to the pain caused by the fire in the building complex of the nursing home and hospital of Valoukli, but also to the relief of the news of its timely evacuation, in a statement on this shocking event of August 4, 2022.
“And then, the assurance of our Ecumenical Patriarch came as a balm,” the Archbishop of Australia pointed out, expressing his confidence that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew “will fight once again with self-sacrifice until he can heal the wounds that the fire opened on the body of this historic charitable foundation of our Ecumenical Patriarchate.”
“In this blessed struggle of our loving Patriarch, our Holy Archdiocese must be present and actively involved; and it will be with all its available forces,” Archbishop Makarios of Australia announced while making special reference to the exemplary solidarity shown by the employees, local citizens, and local authorities, who rushed to help and literally save the inmates of the Nursing Home.
Read below the statement of the Archbishop of Australia:
Soul pain and heartache were the feelings that took over all of us, also here, on the fifth continent, as we watched the first images of the devastating fire that occurred in the building complex of Valoukli nursing home and hospital in Constantinople. Our anxiety about the fate of the elderly, the patients, and the staff of the charity, was quickly followed by relief from the news of their timely removal. And then, the assurance of our Ecumenical Patriarch that “we will overcome this ordeal” came as a balm.
Being fully aware of the leading personality of our Patriarch, who with determination and with a sense of paternal responsibility has been steering the vessel of the Orthodox Church for more than three decades, I am sure that the Ecumenical Patriarch will fight once again with self-sacrifice until he manages to heal the wounds opened by the fire on the body of this historic charitable foundation of our Ecumenical Patriarchate. In this blessed struggle of our loving Patriarch, our Holy Archdiocese must be present and actively involved; and it will be with all its available forces.
I contacted the Archon of the Great Church of Jesus Christ, Lakis Vigas, who informed me about the situation and expressed his admiration for the exemplary solidarity that existed between the workers, the local citizens, and the authorities, who rushed to help and save literally the inmates of the Nursing Home. May God give hope and strength to our brothers who are suffering during these critical times because of the destruction suffered by the hospitable shelter where they had found care. May God also bless the workers, the officials of the state services, and all those who contributed to the timely evacuation of the burning building and to the preservation of the physical integrity and life of all who were inside it.