With due ecclesiastical splendour, the Sunday of Orthodoxy was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Sydney. His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Matins Service and officiated at the concelebrated Divine Liturgy together with Their Graces Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod, and Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta, Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese.
Also praying together was the Athonite Hieromonk Fr Antipas, Elder of the Iviron Kellion of Saint Anna in Karyes on Mount Athos. Among the faithful present were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Georgios Skemperis, Archons of the Mother Church of Constantinople, presidents and representatives of parishes–communities, organisations and institutions of the Holy Archdiocese, students of Saint Spyridon College, as well as the President of the Greek Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Dr John Psarommatis, and teachers of the Sunday Schools, who received the Church’s blessing at the beginning of the new academic year.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a procession of the Holy Icons took place, in commemoration of their definitive restoration in the year 843 A.D. and of the triumph of Orthodoxy over the error of the iconoclasts.
In his homily, His Eminence focused on the fact that the restoration of the icons, after a long period of conflict and division, brought about the restoration of peace within the Church. On this occasion, he underlined the profound importance the Orthodox Church places upon peace, both as an inner spiritual state of the human person and as an external social reality. He reminded the faithful that at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy there are repeated references to peace (“In peace let us pray to the Lord,” “For the peace from above,” and “For the peace of the whole world”), as well as throughout all the services and sacraments of the Church.
Expressing his concern over the increasing and escalating wars of our time, he emphasised that the Church has always opposed expansionist wars and that her primary concern is to impart the peace of Christ to humanity. “In contrast to the powerful of the earth,” he noted, “our Church has always undertaken missionary struggles. She went to places where Christ was unknown and, with great toil and sacrifice, through trials, hardships, and martyrdoms, shared with people her great treasure, the Gospel of Christ.”
Addressing the Sunday School teachers present, the Archbishop urged them in the new school year to emphasise the Church’s teaching on the peace of God, so that students may receive proper spiritual foundations. He congratulated and thanked the Greek Orthodox Christian Fellowship, its President Dr Psarommatis, and all their collaborators for the excellent manner in which they serve the Sunday School ministry of the local Church. He encouraged them to continue with the same zeal in planting the word of God in the hearts of the young and concluded with paternal wishes for a blessed and fruitful Sunday School year.
Finally, His Eminence expressed words of brotherly love and gratitude to the Athonite Hieromonk Fr Antipas, who once again honours the Holy Archdiocese of Australia with his blessed presence and ministers the Sacrament of Holy Confession during Holy and Great Lent.
