Restraining Factors and Problems

RESTRAINING FACTORS AND PROBLEMS

By His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia

In today’s column of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, we have taken of his keynote address to the 9th Clergy- Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, which we consider very important, as it refers to restraining factors and problems that should be noted by all interested people.

To the degree that it has been consoling tolist briefly the specific projects that both theClergy and lay people of our Archdiocese(comprising at least 95% of the Greekcommunity) have undertaken by the graceof God over the past five years, it is equallydisappointing to have to recount alsothe parallel serious obstacles that we haveencountered on our journey.

This reference to our obstacles becomeseven more bitter when we observe thatthey do not arise from problematic individuals(with varying degrees of self-interestalways), but rather from institutions. TheChurch is an institution, just as the State is.This is why mutual respect is necessary.

In this regard, we must confine ourselves tothe unfortunate and clumsy interventionson the part of Greece, especially since theformation of SAE (the Council for HellenesAbroad). The composition, mentalityand activity of this organisation (werefer here to the Oceania region), not onlydamages our peace and unity here, butalso exposes the Greek State bodies withtheir unconstitutional, uncanonical andincoherent practices, under the responsibilityof each Deputy Foreign Minister andthe General Secretary for Greeks Abroad.Given that I have already published longago the Church’sobjections in principleto SAE Oceania, I will only supplementthese with the following few concreteissues.

Firstly, the tragic mistakes associated withthe initial legislation for SAE were neverrectified, in contrast to what the mentionedofficials of the Department of ForeignAffairs have claimed. They only accepted,as a formality, the condition that Schismaticsbe excluded, yet this in no way obstructedtheir co-operation with Schismatics,directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly.All of these things are absolutely supportedby photographs and descriptions of thevarious activities.

This is why it is truly ashame that the Ecumenical PatriarchBartholomeos, although well-meaning,was misled by that doublespeak, and sochanged his initial position on the matter, inaccordance with the unanimous decision(taken during the 1st Synaxis of all Hierarchsof the Ecumenical Throne which waschaired by the Ec. Patriarch).Secondly, the Church and State continuallydeclare in Greece that their roles areclearly distinct, i.e.separate.

Yet, for SAEor other bodies, as far as the Church is concerned,the Deputy Minister in charge ofChurch matters and Greeks Abroad doesnot remember or respect in the slightestthis basic distinction. And I ask: are weperhaps second-class citizens? I believehowever that because we are free citizensof two separate countries, while also beingvivid and creative bearers of two cultures(like the legendary Digenis Akritas), we infact deserve to receive doublerespect andattention.

Could it be that the Greek Governmentshould also maintain the Church Abroad,as it does within Greece - where it pays thesalaries of the Clergy and their lay colleagues,from the Archbishop to the verylast Attendant - in order to be worthy ofrespect? Could it be that we also shoulddemand a share of the European Uniongrants, in order to be regarded as a considerableforce?

It is time that we act more responsibly, ifwe truly want prosperous, productive and gentlemanly co-operation. For, the mannerin which SAE Oceania is currentlyoperating in fact creates increasing problemswhich could lead to very harmful consequencesfor us all.

And one further final observation concerningthe obsession which borders on slander,as to the ‘unity’ of Greek people here.Can the Greek authorities tell us to whatdegree the Greeks are monolithically unitedwithin Greece?

There are four or five Synods (of Old Calendarists)based in Athens itself, in additionto the only Canonical Synod of ArchbishopChristodoulos. What is the Departmentof Foreign Affairs doing for the unityof these Christians, in order to have spare time to offer its good services to theChurch in Australia, and indeed in an amateurishmanner which it employs sideways,instead of directly?

Is the unity of the Greek Parliament, or ofthe individual political parties, so tight thatthey are a model for everyone else? Or isthere tight and monolithic discipline inCouncils, Communities, unions and otherorganisations?

It is about time that we realised that life isnot Mathematics! The right to disagreehas become idolised in today’s society.And it is a complete utopia and mockeryto seek imaginary agreements and clinicalcleanliness amidst undeterminablehuman competition.

When the overwhelming majority of GreekAustralians follow their Canonical Church,with a level of dedication and vigourwhich is to be found nowhere else, it isunfair, to say the least, and insane toexpect there to be no opposing points ofview - as there are in every society. Thisapplies especially in our case, in which theopponents are totally politicised and havelost any ecclesial characteristics, and yetstill boast of their revolt as a form ofDemocracy!.

We, the Canonical Church and Archdioceseof Australia, will not depart from ourcrystal-clear and blessed journey thus far,always with the established Canonical,moral and logical order.Whoever truly repents for any audacious orterrible behaviour of the past at the expenseof the Greek people and their Church, arealways welcome, provided they offer aconvincing guarantee and clear indicationthat they will not repeat the same. Otherwiseany attempt to simply exploit theauthority of the Canonical Church, accordingto the Melbourne model that occurredduring the time of my late predecessorArchbishop Ezekiel, will not be repeated.

The golden mean between strictness andeconomy was expressed epigrammaticallyby the late Patriarch Dimitrios, upon myelection as Archbishop of Australia. Onbehalf of the Holy Synod, he told me thefollowing, among other things:

“Conveying the spirit of the Holy Synod,that is to say the view of the EcumenicalPatriarchate, we express to Your belovedEminence, but at the same time to all people,that we do not recognize or bless anyschismatic or uneconomical group or ecclesiastically-styled organization. There isone Canonical Church Authority in Australia the Holy Archdiocese of Australiain Your Eminence’s care. In saying thesethings, we address ourselves to the Australiannation and public opinion in Australia.Those who raise their heads abovethe Church and persist in this way weremove from the Church, and leave them tothe judgement of God. Those who repent,we again accept in love, forbearance and economy.May God then enlighten all sensible andhonorable people, so that greater wisdom,reverence and sincerity may eventuallyprevail. For this reason, we shall nevercease to repeat the most sacred petition ofOrthodox worship”:

“Lord, save the pious”

Having pointed out the difficulties of ourtask in terms of persons and institutions,we must now define our main priority upuntil our next Clergy-Laity Congress. Thiscould be expressed in one very simple andbrief wish: that God enables us to see -through the sincerity of our struggle -improvement on the part of the opponentsin the unproductive relationships whichwe were obliged to describe on this occasion.

Only then will we be without the distractionof a superfluous burden, so that wemay continually improve our services inChurch institutions and organisations withinour community, which aim at the ministryand salvation of all people.

This Article was published in the Greek Australian newspaper

TO VEMAFebruary 2003

AND PROBLEMS