Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia - The 11th Clergy-Laity Congress

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

The 11th Clergy-Laity Congress  

 “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”
(Heb. 12: 1-2)

 The 11th Clergy-Laity Congress - the highest decision-making body of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia - was held in Sydney, from Sunday 20 January to Wednesday 23 January 2013. 

 His All-Holiness addressed via Skype the 11th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

The 11th Clergy-Laity Congress - the highest decision-making body of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia - was held in Sydney, from Sunday 20 January to Wednesday 23 January.
 The Clergy-Laity Congress, which serves almost one million Greek Orthodox citizens in Australia, is held every four years and draws together parish priests, community presidents, ladies' auxiliary presidents, youth, academics and observers from Australia and overseas.
The official opening of the congress took place with a Doxology Service on Sunday 20 January, 6:00 pm, at St Spyridon Church, Sydney. Present was the Delegate of the Ecumenical Patri-

From left to write: Dr John Psaropmatis, Fr Nicholas Scordilis, His Eminence the Archbishop of Australia, Mrs Stenia Marks and Mrs Helen Nikoletatos at  the  Clergy-Laity Congress.

archate in Constantinople, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit USA.
 At such a challenging juncture in Australia's development, the Clergy-Laity Congress of the Church is an opportunity to express the confidence of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Australia's future with Asia, and the leading role it must play as the authentic expression of Christianity in Australia.
 By decision of His Eminence , the 11th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia will be hosted in Sydney, at the Parish of St Spyridon, 72-76 Gardeners Road, Kingsford.

WHAT IS THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH?

Volumes have been written on the inexhaustible treasures of our Greek Orthodox heritage. It is not the purpose of this guidebook to instruct its readers in Orthodox theology of Church history. However, it is important to understand that everything we do is based upon the premise that the Orthodox Faith is founded upon the teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, now and always.

A few of the fundamental tenets upon which our Holy Orthodox Church functions are as follows:

Fr Vasilios Kourtessis from Melbourne, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas from the USA representing His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW and Fr Nicholas Scordilis at  the  Clergy-Laity Congress

1. THE ORTHODOX CHURCH HAS TWO GREAT SOURCES

OF AUTHORITY:

Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition

Holy Scripture is comprised of the writings of both the New and the Old Testaments. The New Testament reveals the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ, and His sacred teachings that we are charged to follow. The Old Testament is a history of the Hebrew people. It contains, among other sacred writings, the prophecies and the writings of the Prophets that foretold the coming of the Messiah. It therefore serves as an introduction to the revelation and the saving message of the New Testament.

Holy Tradition, of which Holy Scripture is a part, includes the writings, teachings, acts of the apostles, saints, martyrs, and fathers of the Church, and her liturgical and sacramental traditions throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. All of this collective wisdom and experience through the centuries are combined to form this second great source of sacred authority.

2. THE CREED

The Creed contains the Church's basic summary of doctrinal truths to which we adhere as Orthodox Christians. It consists of the twelve articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, or the "Pistevo," which is recited at each Divine Liturgy.

3. THE SACRAMENTS

Australia

The Sacraments are seven in number. They are the visible means by which the invisible Grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to us. Four Sacraments are obligatory:

Baptism Chrismation (anointment with holy oil)

Confession,

and Holy Communion.

Three are optional:

Matrimony

Holy Orders (Ordination)

Unction (anointment of the sick).

4. THE CHURCH CALENDAR

This land resembles the sea Boundless, challenging, untamed virgin Giving its food rich yet salty And returning for each kiss An ambiguous embrace,

The Church Calendar begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st. Each day is sacred for the Orthodox Christian. The Church venerates at least one saint or sacred event in the life of the Church every day of the year. There are, however, several major feast days observed annually, and of these Easter, or Pascha, is the most important.

5. THE DIVINE LITURGY

The central worship service of the Church is the Divine Liturgy which is celebrated each Sunday morning and on all holy days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

6. ECUMENISM

While the Orthodox Church considers herself the Mother Church of Christendom, she cooperates with other churches in programs of educational, philanthropic and social endeavours insofar as this is consistent with her theology. Orthodoxy has become a major force in the universal ecumenical movement of which she was a prime mover through the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

EASTERN CHRISTIANITY

The Orthodox Church embodies and expresses the rich spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity. It should not be forgotten that the Gospel of Christ was first preached and the First Christian communities were established in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It was in these eastern regions of the old Roman Empire that the Christian faith matured in its struggle against paganism and heresy. There, the great Fathers lived and taught. It was in the cities of the East that the fundamentals of our faith were proclaimed at the Seven Ecumenical Councils.

The spirit of Christianity which was nurtured in the East had a particular favour. It was distinct, though not necessarily opposed, to that which developed in the Western portion of the Roman Empire and subsequent Medieval Kingdoms in the West. While Christianity in the West developed in lands which knew the legal and moral philosophy of Ancient Rome, Eastern Christianity developed in lands which knew the Semitic and Hellenistic cultures. While the West was concerned with the Passion of Christ and the sin of man, the East emphasized the Resurrection of Christ and the deification of man. While the West leaned toward a legalistic view of religion, the East espoused a more mystical theology. Since the Early Church was not monolithic, the two great traditions existed together for more than a thousand years until the Great Schism divided the Church. Today, Roman Catholics and Protestants are heirs to the Western tradition, and the Orthodox are heirs to the Eastern tradition.

Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. This description comes to us from the fifth century and has two meanings which are closely related. The first definition means true teaching. The Orthodox Church believes that she has maintained and handed down the Christian faith, free from error and distortion from the days of the Apostles. The second definition, which is actually the more preferred, means true praise. To bless, praise, and glorify God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All her activities, even her doctrinal formulations, are directed toward this goal.

Occasionally, the word Catholic is also used to describe the Orthodox Church. This description dating back to the second century, is embodied in the Nicene Creed which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the Church is universal and also that she includes persons of all races and cultures. It also affirms that the Church has preserved the fullness of the Christian faith.

It is not unusual for titles such as Greek, Russian and Antiochian to be used in describing Orthodox Churches. These appellations refer to the cultural or national roots of a particular parish, diocese, or archdiocese.

WHO ARE WE?

(The Greek orthodox Church in Australia / Newcastle Parish)

(by Fr Nicholas Scordilis)

It has been asserted that the first Greek Orthodox migrants to come to Australia like those from the United Kingdom, were convicts. In 1829 seven young Greek sailors allegedly convicted for piracy in Malta, were transported to New South Wales. When Governor Bourke in 1836 remitted their sentences, five of them were repatriated to Greece, but the remaining two, Antonios Manolis and Ghikas Boulgaris, voluntarily accepted making Australia their home land!

Irrespective of the validity or otherwise of the above assertion, Greek Orthodox Christians in Australia increasingly realize that their presence here is not simply a matter of accident. Fate has no place in a Christians life. What is significant, is Gods divine plan and the migrants personal response to it. Such response is both shaped and conditioned by the new environment and confronts Greek Orthodoxy in this vast continent.

When the first Greek Orthodox Christians came to this Country, whether consciously or subconsciously, they brought with them a rich and valuable heritage, a precious legacy of a tradition, history and culture, which they had inherited from their forefathers. They carried with themselves the Greek Orthodox Christian phronema, a living spirit, which in essence constituted their real life in a strange land. It is precisely this precious deposit of living Tradition, that they have inherited, to live by and to offer to future generations in this great Country.

In our Southern Hemisphere, the Orthodox Church has been develop- ing into a valuable presence and distinctive witness for nearly two hundred years. The first Greek Orthodox arrived in Australia, the earliest days of its history. The Orthodox Church in this country owes its origin to the devotion of so many immigrants from lands such as Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In the great wave of immigrations in the 19th and 20th centuries, Orthodox Christians from many lands and cultures came to Australia in search of freedom and opportunity. Like the first Apostles, they carried with them a precious heritage and gift. To the New Land they brought the ancient faith of the Orthodox Church.

Many Orthodox Christians in Australia proudly trace their ancestry to the lands and cultures of Europe and Asia, but the Orthodox Church can no longer be seen as an immigrant Church. While the Orthodox Church contains individuals from numerous ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the majority of her membership is composed of persons who have been born in Australia. In recognition of this Orthodoxy has been formally acknowledged as one of the Four Major Faiths in this Country. Following the practice of the Early Church, Orthodoxy treasures the various cultures of its people; but it is not bound to any particular culture or people. The Orthodox Church welcomes all!

Today, one hundred and eighty years later, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne of Constantinople), under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop STYLIANOS, regionally divided into five Archdiocesan districts, with Offices in all capital cities, has over 150 organised Communities, with Greek Orthodox Colleges and Community Centres, and with the number of Australians of Greek decent, born overseas and in Australia, approaching the one million, a figure generally accepted by both Greek and Australian Authorities.

The pastoral, educational, Welfare and Social work of the Church is carried out by the Clergy and the Management Committees of the Communities together with the valuable assistance of the Ladies Auxiliary groups and a large number of related charitable and religious bodies. There are also organised agencies such as Greek Welfare Centres, the ESTIA Foundation of Australia, for people with disabilities, the St Basils Homes for the Aged in every Capital City and Chaplaincy services at Universities, Hospitals and Corrective Services in all States. At the same time, in every Community around the Country, Sunday Schools and Greek language classes have been operating, and Youth Groups and Day Care Programmes have been established to care for the needs of the faithful.

Two other very important initiatives have been undertaken by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Firstly the establishment of Greek Orthodox Day Schools in several Centres of the Country and the Educational Board of the Archdiocese has laid down guidelines and plans for others that may follow.  Secondly the opening in 1986 of St Andrews Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and it is recognized as equivalent to university courses in Australia and Greece. The College is training Australian born Greek Orthodox Priests and Teachers and has opened new horizons for education as an ecumenical forum for discussions between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Churches by providing courses relevant to the realities of the Australian life.

It is a well known fact, that the Greek Orthodox Church has been the focus for cultural, educational and philanthropic life in the new Greek Communities in Australia. It has provided direct continuity between the old and the new societies and from out of its tradition has been able to provide an orientation that has sustained the new life in Australia. The Church recognized that the new comers should not become isolated and encouraged them to become citizens of this great Country, while at the same time deriving strength from their rich cultural Tradition. In this respect, the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia, enshrines and promotes the very values of life, faith and culture, which enable Greek migrants to reach out to all that is valuable in their new environment, offer their beset to others and accept what good others have to offer.

In the City of Newcastle, the Holy Apostles, Greek Orthodox Parish and Community, is located in the beautiful suburb of the cosmopolitan Hamilton, at the corner of James and Steel Streets and opposite Gregson Park. Under the jurisdiction and the Spiritual guidance of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, the Community continues for nearly sixty years now to fulfill its obligations in Religious, Educational, Cultural and Welfare activities. The Church of the holy Apostles, a building of a unique Byzantine architectural style decorated with beautiful Wall frescoes and Icons (and open to all visitors from 9am to 1pm Monday to Saturday) is the centre of the Community life.

Next to the Church is the New Community Centre, known as the Hellenic Community and Cultural Centre or according to Newcastle’s Herald, “Newcastle’s White House”. A building which is the home of many pieces of fine art, presenting moments of ancient civilization, with the most exciting, a piece of ruins from the ancient Olympia, where the Olympic Games originated. A historic treasure presented to the people of Newcastle as a gift by the government of Greece.

The Rector of the Church, the Revd Father Nicholas Scordilis and the Management Committee with its President MrPaul Milonas together with the Ladies Auxiliary Committee and all other groups in the Church, are working with enthusiasm and devotion to maintain the teachings of the Christian Orthodox Faith and the Tradition, and to pass this treasure on to the new generation. At the same time their work is endless in their efforts to promote and extend in the highest possible level the good will and understanding which today exists within the Hunter Valley area between the other Sister Churches and many peoples groups and Communities. The Sunday School, the Greek Language School, the Odyssey Dancing School of Traditional Greek Dancing, the Day Care program and so many other activities have made the Community of Newcastle one of the strongest and more successful Greek Orthodox Communities in Australia today.

A Special Prayer

for the City and People of Newcastle from the Members of the Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church.

Merciful God, look down upon us and show us the riches of Your compassion as we with humility are asking you for the welfare of all our brothers and sisters of this great City of ours. With them all, bless Lord, this our Country, the Government, State and local leaders and all those in public service, whom You have allowed to govern. Grant them profound and lasting peace. Speak to their hearts good things concerning all people, that through the faithful contact of their duties we may live peacefully. Bless Lord, those who bear fruit and do good work among us and those who remember the poor and the sick. Guide the peace-makers on their efforts to overcome the evil of division and disunity in our Nation. Reward them with Your divine gifts and give them the knowledge of Your truth in this World and Eternal life in the World to come. Fill all the homes of this city with every good thing. Preserve all marriages in peace and harmony; nurture the infants; instruct and guard the youth; strengthen the aged; give courage to the faint-hearted; reunite those who are separated; travel with those who travel by sea,  by land and by air; defend and protect the weak; heal the sick. And bless o Lord those whom we have not remembered through ignorance or forgetfulness, since You Lord, know each and every one. For you Lord, are the helper of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the Saviour of the afflicted, the Physician of the sick. Be Lord, all things to all. You, who know each one of us, our requests, our household and our needs. Deliver our Society and our City and every City and town in this our land, from every kind of affliction, wrath, danger and necessity and keep all of us under Your Protection.

For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from You, and to You we give glory, honour, thanksgiving and worship, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Amen.