Archbishop Makarios welcomed the decision of the Community, saying that “we are not here to judge or condemn the mistakes of the past, but we are here to correct them and not to repeat them. We must all move forward together, loved and united. The embrace of the Archdiocese is – and will always be – open to all who wish it”.
With an overwhelming majority that reached 85% of its members, the Greek Community of Woologong decided the holy church of Saint Nektarios to rejoin the Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Following this decision, which bridges another gap in the Greek community of Australia, Bishop Emilianos of Meloa made the following statement to “Neos Kosmos”:
“When the community of St. Nektarios expressed its willingness to reintegrate into the regular Australian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, of course Archbishop Makarios of Australia not only welcomed its representatives, but promised to visit them, which he did. The Archbishop strongly believes in dialogue with all those who have good will, as the Orthodox Church is not afraid to express its opinion. By the grace of God and with the intercession of Saint Nektarios, this dialogue culminated in the decision of November 8, taken by the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Community of Saint Nektarios, with an overwhelming majority in favor of the Archdiocese.
Our Holy Archdiocese and the Executive Committee of Saint Nektarios are now cooperating further to properly coordinate the Parish – Community, both spiritually and organizationally, with all the other Parishes – Communities of our Holy Archdiocese. I note that the church of Saint Nektarios is not going to close, as rumored by some, but will soon have a permanent priest, who will serve the faithful for years to come.
It is a strong belief of the Archbishop that the position of the members of the Community of St. Nektarios is in the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. The fact that the Community of St. Nektarios has become part of the recognized Orthodox Church of Australia is an act that shows the greatness and responsibility of its members. The members freely decided to live, from now on, the truth of Orthodoxy and to acquire proper and true priests. After all, this is a responsibility that we all have towards the next generations and especially the young children.
The Archbishop welcomed the decision of the Community with great satisfaction, saying that it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When asked about the responsibilities and mistakes of the past, the Archbishop said: “We are not here to judge or condemn the mistakes of the past, but we are here to correct them and not to repeat them. We must all move forward together, loved and united. The embrace of the Archdiocese is – and will be – always open to all who wish it”.
In the next period of time, Archbishop Makarios of Australia will personally visit the Parish – Community of Saint Nektarios and will preside over the Divine Liturgy.
Meanwhile, the President and members of the adjacent Wollongong Holy Cross parish, as well as the parish priest, visited the Archbishop and were briefed on the above developments. They expressed their satisfaction because now the Hellenism of Wollongong and the wider area will be united and a part of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia”.