The Greek-Australian community deeply respects, loves, and honours the venerable Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and yet another undeniable testament to this was the overwhelming participation of around 1,500 people in the official dinner held in honour of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the evening of Tuesday 8th October in Sydney. The dinner took place in the Grand Hall of the International Convention Centre and was accompanied by a musical program curated by the Youth of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society.
During the evening, a video message was played from the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who praised the lasting and multifaceted contributions of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia to Hellenism and the broader Australian society; warmly congratulated His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who “spares no effort for the unity, progress, and continuity of the Greek element”; and he welcomed the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch for the centenary celebrations, which “emphatically underscores the enduring bonds of our diaspora with Orthodoxy”.
There was also a presentation of the role and mission of the newly established Order of the Saviour Christ, comprised of Archons of the Ecumenical Throne from the faithful of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. The presentation was made by its President Mr Andrew Liveris, Archon of the Great Church of Christ, who received the paternal and Patriarchal blessings and good wishes.
Earlier, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios addressed His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, conveying the love of the clergy and faithful of the Holy Archdiocese. “It was impossible to celebrate the centenary without the presence of our Father and Patriarch,” he remarked, while also pointing out that the Australian Government invited the Ecumenical Patriarch as a Head of State for the first time in Australia’s history, “thus demonstrating the recognition and honour towards Your venerable person and the Archdiocese here.”
In continuation, the Archbishop briefly referred to the history of the local Church, while for its future, he expressed confidence in God’s will and providence. This confidence is strengthened, as he pointed out, first by the constant and unwavering love and care of the Great Church of Christ for the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, secondly by the divinely chosen group of Bishops and the devout clergy, and thirdly by the blessed faithful of the Holy Archdiocese, who “are our great strength and most precious legacy”.
“We felt from the very first moment of our arrival that we are among brethren,” responded the Ecumenical Patriarch, visibly moved and thanking all the Greek-Australians for the affection they had shown to him and his honoured entourage. He praised the Greek-Australian community, which is “numerically large and qualitatively flourishing,” noting that it has not only benefited from the blessings of the Australian Commonwealth but “has also contributed to it from the inexhaustible wealth of both the Hellenic and Orthodox culture and from the unique tradition of Romiosini, thus significantly shaping and evolving modern Australian society”. Subsequently, after referring to the mosaic of religious traditions found in Australia, he focused on the role and presence of the daughter Church of the Ecumenical Throne which, as he noted, “for an entire century has been a special blessing for Australia as a whole because the Orthodox Church, beyond what was mentioned generally about tolerance, mutual understanding, etc., which it cultivates and promotes to the greatest possible extent, is the Church of joy and hope in the Resurrection.’”
In summary, His All-Holiness Bartholomew emphasised that the completion of one hundred years since the founding of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia is not merely an occasion for anniversary celebrations and events, but “a milestone and a springboard for a new and dynamic journey into the second century”. And this, he said, is “thanks to the vision and providence of Archbishop Makarios” and made special mention of the new Constitution, which “in practice deeply reforms the Holy Archdiocese of Australia that is undergoing a period of radical renewal.”
Among those attending the official dinner in honour of the Ecumenical Patriarch were members of the Patriarchal entourage consisting of Their Eminences, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, and Metropolitan Filotheos of Thessaloniki, the Very Reverend Archimandrites Gregory The Grand Protosyncellus, and Aetios, The Grand Ecclesiarch, Director of the Personal Patriarchal Office, the Reverend Patriarchal Deacon Evlogios, Codifier of the Holy and Sacred Synod, the Righteous Nun Iakovi, Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Forerunner in Akritochori, the Archon Didaskalos of the Nation Mr Konstantinos Delikostanis, Director of the First Patriarchal Office, and Archon Didaskalos of the Church Mr Theodoros Yiangou, Professor of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Their Eminences Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis and Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia; The Venerable Bishops of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia; Fr Miodrag Peric, Chancellor of the Serbian Orthodox Church; The Ambassadors in Australia of Greece His Excellency Mr Stavros Venizelos, of Turkey His Excellency Mr Ufuk Gezer, of Georgia His Excellency Mr Beka Dvali and of Romania, His Excellency Mr Radu Gabriel Safta; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, His Excellency Mr Antonis Samoutis; the Consul Generals in Sydney of Greece Mr Yannis Mallikourtis, of Turkey Mrs Belgin Ergüneş, of Serbia Mrs Jasmina Pekmezovic (representing the country’s Ambassador) and of the USA, Mrs Christine Elder (representing the country’s Ambassador); the Deputy Consul of Romania Mr Ioan Gheorghe Crisan; the leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament of Australia, Mr Peter Dutton MP; the State Minister for Industrial Relations, and Minister for Work Health and Safety (NSW) Ms Sophie Cotsis MP; the State Minister for Finance, Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement and Natural Resources (NSW), Ms Courtney Houssos MP; the State Senator (South Australia), Ms Connie Bonaros; the State Member of Parliament (NSW), Ms Eleni Petinos MP; the Local Councillors Ms Paula Masselos and Fiona Douskou; the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales, Mr Harry Danalis, and Vice President Ms Nia Karteris, and the Archon of the Great Church of Christ, Mr Andrew Liveris, with his wife Paula.
