On Easter Sunday, Archbishop Makarios of Australia attended a festive Easter lunch at a Greek restaurant in Sydney’s city centre, joined by close associates and friends—including the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese.
During the lunch, the Archbishop and the Prime Minister exchanged warm Paschal greetings and engaged in a cordial discussion, touching on matters of mutual interest.
Among the invited guests were also the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, and the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis.
Meanwhile, the Anastasi was celebrated in Sydney with ecclesiastical splendour and deep spiritual reverence.
The focal point of the celebrations was the Church of the Resurrection in Kogarah, where Archbishop Makarios presided over the Resurrection service.
He was joined by Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, who also serves as Chief Secretary of the Holy Archdiocesan Synod and parish priest of the hosting church.
Once again this year, thousands of faithful filled the church, its grounds, and surrounding streets from early in the evening. Holding lit candles and singing the sacred hymns of the Resurrection, the congregation waited patiently and prayerfully for the triumphant proclamation: “Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…”
At midnight the Archbishop declared the joyous message of Christ’s victory over death. In that moment, countless flames from the candles formed a luminous veil, banishing the darkness of night.
Archbishop Makarios’ Paschal Encyclical was read in both Greek and English by Bishop Iakovos and Bishop Christodoulos, respectively.
The service was followed by the celebratory Divine Liturgy, officiated by the Archbishop, with the participation of the attending bishops and clergy of the parish.
