ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΣ
ἐλέῳ Θεοῦ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τῆς Ἁγιωτάτης Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Αὐστραλίας, ὑπέρτιμος καὶ Ἐξαρχος πάσης Ὠκεανίας, τοῖς Θεοφιλεστάτοις Ἐπισκόποις, τῷ εὐαγεῖ κλήρῳ, ταῖς μοναστικαῖς ἀδελφότησι, τοῖς Προέδροις τῶν ἐντίμων Ἐκκλησιαστικῶν Συμβουλίων καὶ Φιλοπτώχων Ἀδελφοτήτων, τοῖς διδάσκουσι καὶ τοῖς διδασκομένοις ἐν τοῖς Σχολείοις, τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις ἐν τοῖς φιλανθρωπικοῖς καθιδρύμασι καὶ παντὶ τῷ χριστεπωνύμῳ πληρώματι τῆς ἐν Αὐστραλίᾳ Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, χάρις εἴη καὶ εἰρήνη παρὰ τοῦ ἐνδόξως Ἀναστάντος Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ.
Τιμιώτατοι Ἀδελφοί συνεπίσκοποι καὶ ἀγαπητά μου παιδιά,
Σ᾽ ἕναν κόσμο ποὺ ἀλλάζει καθημερινὰ καὶ ποὺ συνταράσσεται ἀπὸ «πολέμους καὶ ἀκοὰς πολέμων» (Μτ. 24, 6), στὸν κόσμο τῆς τεχνολογίας καὶ τῆς προόδου, ὁ σύγχρονος ἄνθρωπος, ἀκόμη, προσπαθεῖ νὰ δώσῃ λύση στὸ μεγάλο καὶ ἀνυπέρβλητο πρόβλημα τοῦ θανάτου καὶ σὲ ὅσα σχετίζονται μὲ αὐτόν.
Ἡ Ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία ἀπαντᾷ σ᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ διαχρονικὸ ἐρώτημα μὲ τὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ποὺ δὲν εἶναι ἕνα συναισθηματικὸ ἢ ψυχολογικὸ ἐφεύρημα κάποιων κληρικῶν, ἀλλὰ μιὰ ἱστορικὴ πραγματικότητα, ἡ ὁποία, ὡστόσο, κατανοεῖται μόνο βιωματικά. Ὁ ἄνθρωπος ποὺ δὲν πιστεύει στὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ φοβᾶται τὸν θάνατο, πιστεύει ὅτι μὲ τὸν θάνατο σβήνουν τὰ φῶτα καὶ ὅλα χάνονται. Ἀντίθετα, ὁ ἄνθρωπος ποὺ πιστεύει στὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ, βλέπει τὸν θάνατο νὰ πλησιάζει καὶ διδάσκεται. Ὁ θάνατος μᾶς διδάσκει ὅτι εἶναι ἐπεῖγον νὰ ἀγαπήσουμε ὁ ἕνας τὸν ἄλλο καὶ νὰ μὴ φύγουμε ἀπ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴ ζωὴ πικραμένοι μεταξύ μας. Ὁ ἄνθρωπος ποὺ πιστεύει στὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ, θεωρεῖ μὲν ὅτι μὲ τὸν θάνατο σβήνουν τὰ φῶτα, ἀλλὰ ὄχι γιατὶ ὅλα τελείωσαν καὶ χάθηκαν. Ἀλλὰ διότι ἔφτασε ἡ γλυκιὰ αὐγὴ καὶ κάτι ὄμορφο ξεκινάει. Ἡ Ἐκκλησία δὲν μᾶς διδάσκει, λοιπόν, πῶς νὰ γίνουμε καλοὶ καὶ ἠθικοὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ μᾶς μαθαίνει πῶς νὰ νικοῦμε τὸν θάνατο.
Σὲ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀναστάσιμο τρόπο ζωῆς, σᾶς καλῶ ὅλους. Ζῆστε τὴ χαρὰ τῆς Ἀναστάσεως. Νὰ μὴ φοβάστε νὰ εἶστε χαρούμενοι, γιατὶ ὅπου ὑπάρχει ἔλλειψη χαρᾶς ἀπουσιάζει ὁ Χριστός. Ζῆστε τὴ χαρὰ τῆς Ἀναστάσεως σὲ κοινωνία καὶ ἕνωση μὲ τὸν Ἀναστημένο Χριστό, χωρὶς φόβο, ἀπελπισία, μεμψιμοιρία καὶ μιζέρια ἀλλὰ μὲ θάρρος, αἰσιοδοξία καὶ πίστη στὸν λόγο Του: «Θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον» (Ἰω. 16, 33).
Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Χρόνια πολλὰ σὲ ὅλους!
Ἐν Σύδνεϋ, τῇ Κυριακῇ τοῦ Πάσχα, 5ῃ Μαΐου 2024,
Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος
† Ὁ Αὐστραλίας Μακάριος
MAKARIOS
by God’s mercy, Archbishop of the Most Holy Archdiocese of Australia, Primate and Exarch of All Oceania, to the God-loving Bishops, the gracious clergy, the monastic communities, to the Presidents of the honorable Ecclesiastical Committees and the Philoptochos Associations, to the teachers and students in the Schools, to those who work in the philanthropic institutions and to all the Christ-loving plenitude of the Orthodox Church in Australia, grace and peace from Christ our Saviour who gloriously rose.
Most Honourable Fellow Bishops and my beloved children,
In a world which experiences change on a daily basis and is shaken by "wars and rumours of wars" (Mt 24:6), in a world of technology and progress, the contemporary human person still endeavours to provide a solution to the great and insurmountable problem of death, and everything that is related to it.
The Orthodox Church answers this timeless question with the Resurrection of Christ, which is not a sentimental or psychological invention by some clergy, but rather a historical reality, which can only be understood by way of experience. The person who does not believe in the Resurrection of Christ fears death and believes that, with death, the lights switch off, and everything is lost. On the contrary, the person who believes in the Resurrection of Christ sees death approaching and is taught by this. Death teaches us to love one other as a matter of urgency, so as not to leave this life embittered with one other. A person who believes in the Resurrection of Christ considers that whilst the lights may switch off with death, this is not because all things have ended and become lost. Rather, the sweetness of a new dawn has arrived and something beautiful is about to commence. The Church, therefore, does not teach us how to become good and ethical people, but rather how to defeat death.
I invite you all to this way of life, informed by the Resurrection. Live and experience the joy of the Resurrection. Do not be afraid to be filled with joy, because where there is a lack of joy, Christ is absent. Live the joy of the Resurrection in communion and unity with the Resurrected Christ, without fear, despair, self-pity, and misery; but with courage, optimism, and faith in His Word: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33),
Christ is Risen! May He grant you all many years!
In Sydney, on the Sunday of Pascha, the 5th of May 2024,
The Archbishop
† Makarios of Australia
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