“I cannot accept that the Greek community is ‘aging’. Australia’s Greek community will never ‘age’. That is my deep inner conviction. But obviously by your question you mean that with the third and fourth generations we have changes. We are moving away from language, possibly from tradition, we have mixed marriages etc. I accept these things, but this is also the great ‘stake’ of the Church and mine, if you like, on a personal level.”
This is underlined by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, among other things, in an exclusive interview with Neos Kosmos to be published in next Thursday’s edition, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of his election to the Archdiocesan throne.
In the interview, the Archbishop responds to a number of questions we pose to him, concerning both the Greek Orthodox community and the Archdiocese.
The first part of the interview will be published in our newspaper next Thursday, with Archbishop Makarios stressing:
“We need a rallying of all the forces of the Diaspora, from the family environment to the organisations that have institutional roles. Therefore, I take this opportunity to reiterate my appeal in all directions: protect this priceless treasure bequeathed to you by your parents and grandparents,
“We often use the word ‘treasure’ in a metaphorical sense. But for Hellenism in Australia, the language, the faith and the cultural traditions have indeed proved to be a treasure that has enabled it to thrive and grow, and it will continue to do so.”
