On Sunday, January 14, Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of All Saints in Belmore, Sydney. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Archbishop conferred the ordination of Spiritual Father upon Fr. Dimitrios Papaoikonomou, a fellow priest serving alongside the Hierarchical Head of the Church, Fr. Christos Triantafyllou.
He then reflected upon the Gospel passage of the day, wherein Christ reiterated the teachings of Saint John the Forerunner, who implored the people to repent. He pointed out that it was no coincidence that Christ’s first sermon was about repentance. He mentioned that repentance served as a signal for our transformation and a shift in our way of life.
Addressing Fr. Dimitrios, the Archbishop provided guidance on the new ministry entrusted to him by the Church, emphasizing the importance of accepting people’s confessions and accompanying them on the blessed path of repentance.
He urged him to listen carefully, understand, and respect the trials and experiences of every believer who comes to the Mystery of Confession. The Archbishop emphasized the importance of acting with the aim of bringing rest and liberation to the soul of the person confessing. “When one comes to confess, listen to them very carefully,” he said.
He went on to say, “You have the power to forgive or not to forgive. You have the power to bind or release people’s sins. I don’t wish to tell you what to do, I leave it to your discretion. But I’ll say what I do. I try to release people’s sins, I never bind them. I would rather see someone depart from the Sacrament of Confession with a light heart and a beautiful smile on their face than leave with a bowed head and a burden of thoughts.”
The Archbishop also remarked that in contemporary society, people were often made to feel guilty for their actions or oversights in various ways. This is a situation that the Church must respond to, as he pointed out, by relieving people’s souls of the burden of guilt. “Make the soul of every person to be free and fly to heaven, to reach Christ,” he said to the new Spiritual Father.
In conclusion, the Archbishop expressed confidence that Fr. Dimitrios would effectively fulfill his new mission, acknowledging the valuable support of the seasoned clergyman and Head of the Church of All Saints, Fr. Christos. The Archbishop extended gratitude to Fr. Christos for his many years of dedicated service and contribution. He also thanked and congratulated the President of the Parish-Community and the Board of Directors, as well as the Director of the College of All Saints and her associates for their hard work for the progress of the Orthodox Church and the Greek community. He concluded with an exhortation to everyone: “Always strive for the glory of Christ and the Church but also for the glory of our Nation.”
Translated by Thanos Chrysanthopoulos
