His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia condemns the terrorist attack at Bondi in Sydney which, according to the preliminary findings of the authorities, resulted in the death of twelve people and the injury of at least twenty-nine others. His Eminence stresses that “every act that violates the sanctity of human life is reprehensible, even more so when it undermines our peaceful coexistence, which constitutes a fundamental achievement of Australian society.”
The full statement of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia is as follows:
“I express my profound grief over the mass-casualty terrorist attack in Sydney, which occurred during a gathering for the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.
Every act that violates the sanctity of human life is reprehensible, even more so when it undermines our peaceful coexistence, which constitutes a fundamental achievement of Australian society. We are all obliged to struggle resolutely against every form of intolerance, fanaticism, and violence, and to proclaim unequivocally that whoever kills while invoking God does not serve their faith but betrays it. There can be no sanctity in murder.
On behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod and the plenitude of the faithful of our Holy Archdiocese, I unequivocally condemn the heinous crime perpetrated today in Sydney; I pray for the repose of the souls of the victims; and express our unwavering solidarity with their grieving families and loved ones, as well as with the entire Jewish Community. Our thoughts are also with those who have been injured and are receiving medical care, to whom we offer our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery.”