Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is visiting Australia this week to mark 100 years since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Bartholomew will visit the cities of Sydney and Melbourne from Friday, 4th October to Saturday, 19th October 2024, and will participate in a series of commemorative events marking the anniversary.
Among the key events will be the Patriarchal Divine Liturgies, which will occur in Sydney and Melbourne on the 6th and 13th of October 2024, respectively.
PM Albanese on Bartholomew’s visit to Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host him as a Guest of Government on 5 and 13 October. They will attend events together in Sydney and Melbourne that celebrate the milestone.
Australia is home to a significant Greek Orthodox community, with a population of over 400,000 people across the nation. This will be his second visit to Australia as an Ecumenical Patriarch— it has been 28 years since his last visit in 1996.
Albanese said he was looking forward to welcoming His All-Holiness to Australia. “Australian society is enriched by our diversity—it is one of our greatest attributes,” the Prime Minister said.
“The Greek Australian community is a vibrant part of Australia’s identity, involved in business, public service, politics, the arts and sport.
“It is a joy to celebrate the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the contributions of the Greek community to our nation.”
Archbishop Makarios calls on Greek Australians to welcome Bartholomew
In his message, Archbishop Makarios of Australia notes:
“The current generations of our community have a rare opportunity to welcome, in the land where they have built their second homeland, the Patriarch of our Nation, the guardian of the Orthodox faith, and the history and traditions of our ancestors. In the venerable person of His All-Holiness, as well as in the exalted institution he represents, we see our past, present, and future.
“I urge our devout and Christ-loving people to take full advantage of the forthcoming blessed presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch among us as an opportunity for spiritual renewal, strengthening, and inspiration in light of the many challenges we face in the second century of life and journey of our local Church.”
Last week Bartholomew expressed his optimism for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki in Istanbul.
The age-old Orthodox seminary at Halki was summarily closed on July 29, 1971, when Turkey ruled that all private institutions of higher learning in the country be closed.
Speaking during a visit to Thessaloniki the head of the Orthodox Church said that the effort to reopen the School “is progressing at a rapid pace.”
