On the Sunday of Pascha, 12 April, in an atmosphere of Resurrection joy, the Vespers of Love were celebrated with due splendour and solemnity at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Sydney.
The service was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia and Their Graces, Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint George at Yellow Rock, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod, and Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta, Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. All the clergy of the city of Sydney participated, while among those present were the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, His Excellency Mr Stavros Venizelos, with his wife Larissa Tikaidi, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Georgios Skemperis, the Archons of the Great Church of Constantinople, Mr Andreas Liveris, President of the Order of “Christ the Saviour,” and Mr Theo Penklis, Secretary General of the Archdiocesan Council, both with their families, as well as representatives of organisations and institutions of the Holy Archdiocese.
According to tradition, during the service the Gospel of the Resurrection was read in various languages. In his brief address, His Eminence expressed heartfelt thanks to the hierarchs, clergy, chanters, and all the volunteers who, especially during Holy Week, a demanding period marked by the widespread participation of the faithful, fulfilled their ministries in an exemplary manner.
He further referred to the turbulent period through which humanity is passing, with tensions and conflicts at an international level escalating. “We are living in a time of rumours of wars,” he observed, noting that although there is recent talk of ceasefires and peace in the Middle East, if such peace has an expiry date, it is in reality a preparation for another war. Expressing his concern about this fragile situation and its consequences, he stressed that the Church must bear witness to the love and peace of Christ before the world.
“We must speak and preach,” he emphasised, “but above all our very life must be light, teaching and proclaiming Christ. Our life, our actions, our conduct, even our very breath, must bear witness to Christ and to the light of the Resurrection.”
In conclusion, Archbishop Makarios wished that the grace of the Risen Christ may bless those present and their families. At the end, he distributed the traditional red Paschal eggs, exchanging the Resurrection greeting: “Christ is Risen – Truly He is Risen.”
