“The people have shown great
understanding during this trying period of COVID-19 and I thank them for
that”, said Greek-Orthodox Archbishop of Australia, Mr Makarios in an
exclusive interview to SBS Greek.
«The message I want to give is that we belong
to the Church of joy. We belong to the Church of the Resurrection and it
does not teach us a moral way to be good or bad. The Church teaches us
how to overcome death. This trial we are going through, is a challenge
aiming to test our faith and our love for Christ and the Church» his
Eminence said.
The Archbishop noted that COVID-19 has impacted the
functions of the Archdiocese and that he doesn’t foresee any changes to
the restrictions regarding the Easter holiday.
He
called to the faithful to show understanding, not only because
gatherings during Easter, will be a violation of the restrictions that
the Australian government has imposed nation-wide, but also because he
does not wish for the Churches to become places were the virus can
spread in the community.
«I have no fear for my life or my health.
But if someone with the virus kisses the hand of the Archbishop, then
another and another, then this hand of blessing will become a hand that
spreads sorrow», he stressed.
Asked about the rhetoric that has
been witnessed from some other Bishops/Metropolitans in other mainly
Orthodox countries, including Greece, his Eminence said: «We
Greek-Orthodox, have this trait: In matters of medicine or astrophysics,
the ones who have a say are the experts. But when it comes to theology,
everyone thinks they are an expert, and feel the need to share their
opinions with the media. We need to be mindful of that, as in certain
cases we may touch sensitive threads of a person’s being or conscience»
he said, while stressing that the faithful and the clergy should be
united during this period.
«These
affects our Parishes, our priests and their families but also the staff
who work in our schools, institutions, offices, or district offices of
the Archdiocese» said his Eminence.
As a result, the Archdiocese
has decided on a number of measures, soon to be officially announced by
Mr. Makarios, to adapt to the current crisis.
Firstly, for the
year 2020, parishes who are not able to afford to pay their 7%
contribution to the Archdiocese will be relieved of this financial
responsibility. «This is hard, but I do not want to be distant from the
parishes that are going through hardships» said Archbishop Makarios.
The
Archbishop also was eager to stress that there will be no lay offs. «We
will fire none of our employees from the Archdiocese, our regional
offices, our schools, foundations, at St. Basil’s, or the welfare
centres. No one will get fired».
The third major issue is the
wage of the clergy, as many parishes are unable to pay their priests.
«We are in communication with the authorities, I have assurances from
the state that our priests will be able to be included in the welfare
programs and receive the weekly alliance of $750 per week» said his
Eminence. According to the Archbishop, the priests and their families
will be able at the very least to secure a basic income from their
families until the crisis subsides.
Press Play to hear the full interview with Archbishop Makarios in Greek.