Archbishop of Australia welcomes agreement on Sinai Monastery and congratulates Prime Minister of Greece

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the morning of Monday, 26 October, at the celebrating Church of Saint Dimitrios, in the municipality of Agios Dimitrios in Attica, on the occasion of the feast day of the Holy Great Martyr Dimitrios the Myrrh-streamer.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were Their Graces Bishop Elpidios of Perth, Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Athinagoras of Canberra, members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia, together with His Grace Bishop Isidoros of Andidon.

Attending the Festal Divine Liturgy were the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis; the Minister of Development, Mr Takis Theodorikakos; the Mayor of Agios Dimitrios, Mr Stelios Mamalakis; Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Spokesperson for PASOK, Mr Pavlos Christidis; and the Secretary of the Political Committee of New Democracy, Mr Konstantinos Kyranakis.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence delivered an appropriate address concerning the feast of the Patron Saint of the Parish and the municipality bearing his name.

Addressing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, His Eminence warmly congratulated him for his contribution to resolving the longstanding issue concerning the status of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai and for securing an agreement with the Egyptian State.

Among other things, he observed that the historic Monastery of Sinai, “for centuries, would fall into the hands of one sultan, then another pasha, then one governor, then another, but it remained hanging by a thread, as our people say.”

“And I glorify God,” he continued, “that our Prime Minister, in cooperation with the Egyptian Government and through the authority and standing he possesses, managed to resolve this great and longstanding issue, so that the Monastery of Sinai might acquire its own legal standing, safeguard its ecclesiastical and monastic rights, and allow us to be certain that this great bastion of the Orthodox Church will not be endangered.

“For this reason, I humbly express, with all my love, Mr Prime Minister, my warmest congratulations on this very significant and historic initiative which you undertook and successfully brought to completion.”

His Eminence also congratulated the Prime Minister on the recent agreement with the Bulgarian Government, under which 48 historic ecclesiastical treasures, previously removed from Holy Monasteries in Macedonia, were returned to Greece.

He described this development as a very positive beginning, expressing the hope that it would lead to the repatriation of further ecclesiastical treasures in the future.

“I believe that gradually, through the right approach, through courtesy and dialogue, which is how we must now proceed,” he emphasised, “everything will be accomplished, and we shall be proud and once again have the opportunity, particularly our brothers and sisters in Northern Greece, to venerate the precious treasures, the holy, sacred and revered heritage of our people.”

The Prime Minister, visibly moved, thanked Archbishop Makarios for his words and for his contribution to public life in Australia.

It is also noted that the Mayor of Agios Dimitrios, Mr Stelios Mamalakis, presented the Archbishop of Australia with an epigonation, as an expression of respect and gratitude for his honoured presence and for presiding over the celebrations of the Patron Saint of the Municipality of Agios Dimitrios.