Archbishop Makarios of Australia made the statement that the Orthodox Church services should be conducted in Greek to preserve the national and spiritual identity.
With the striking words, “If the Church loses its Greek identity, then we are in serious trouble. We stand firm!”, the Archbishop stressed the importance of the church service in Greek, according to the Orthodox Times report.
He said that the Greek language maintains the deep bond between Orthodox liturgical life and the Greek language, especially within the Greek Diaspora, where the Church serves as a central pillar in preserving national identity and spiritual heritage..
“We do not forget who we are,” the Archbishop emphasized during his address, delivered at the conclusion of the Vespers of the Descent from the Cross on Holy Friday at the Church of Saint Nektarios in Fawkner, within the Holy Diocese of Chora.
More specifically, Archbishop Makarios stressed that the Greek language must remain at the heart of the sacred services, stating: “We are Greeks here. Who here does not understand Greek? I was not pleased to see the service divided half in Greek and half in English. We are Greeks, and we must preserve and uphold that. Because if the Church loses its Greek identity, then we are in serious trouble. We stand firm!”
Engage more young people in the Church
Archbishop Makarios expressed concern over the increasing use of mixed-language services, particularly those split evenly between Greek and English. This is because less and less young people are involved in the life of the Church. He stressed the importance of engaging young people in the Orthodox Church.
At the same time, the Archbishop acknowledged the need for more chanters to serve on the analogia, while maintaining, with firm conviction, the non-negotiable priority of preserving the Greek language in worship.
“We do have needs,” he noted, “but we will find chanters who can chant in Greek. And we can include some English for our children, to help bring them closer to the Church, but not half in Greek and half in English. We do not forget who we are. And I am pleased that you receive this positively and honor it.”
Archbishop Makarios also pointed to the importance of strengthening church participation through outreach and staffing, particularly by increasing the number of Greek-speaking cantors.
On Thursday, The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia decided to curb clergy influencers, issuing a formal decision to draw specific guidelines. The Synod, also discussed, among other matters, the fact that some clergy promote themselves on social media “as preachers and teachers.”
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