On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the Metropolis of Zambia in collaboration with the Consulate General of Greece in Lusaka and the Greek communities of Lusaka and Copperbelt has planned a series of activities to celebrate our national independence and the birth of the Greek State.
In this context, today, Tuesday, February 9, a day dedicated to the Greek language and the memory of the National Poet Dionysios Solomos, Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia presided over the Divine Liturgy and officiated a memorial service at the Chapel of the Holy Metropolis.
After the end of the memorial service, wreaths were laid at the bust of the “Poet of Freedom” in the courtyard of the Diocese, which has been laced temporarily.
The official unveiling ceremony will be held in 2021 by a representative of the Greek government.
In his message, Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia stressed, among other things:
“Today is a day of remembrance of our National poet Dionysios Solomos. Hellenism everywhere celebrates with pride for the fourth year the International Greek Language Day. Solomos was not just a Great Poet. He set his lyre in the service of the Greek revolution, making the struggle of our ancestors a symbol of the universal ideals of freedom and national independence.
The Hymn to Freedom was adopted as the national anthem of the newly formed Greek State. Since then it has been a timeless element of our national identity, which connects Greeks everywhere. Dionysios Solomos inspired and was the point of reference and faith in the struggle of Nelson Mandela during the difficult hours of apartheid and the period of his imprisonment in Robben Island.
At the age of 59, Solomos marked the history of the Greek spirit and the world’s cultural heritage with the greatness of his poetic work.”
Observing the protective measures of the country’s national health authorities to stem the pandemic, the Holy Metropolis of Zambia has decided to postpone the other activities it had planned until next May.
Source: Metropolis of Zambia
