Archbishop Makarios banned two Labor (i.e. left-wing) politicians of Greek ancestry from Greek national day celebrations
because they supported abortion up till birth. The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the few consistent voices in Australia of any influence that continues to
defend traditional marriage and
oppose abortion.
I wholeheartedly agree; Archbishop Makarios’ direct stance against the NSW Government in particular on abortion was powerful and highly moving.
Now the commissars of the media are out to get Archbishop Makarios and his church. This is typical Soviet Union-era misrepresentation and slander; for instance, implying that the Archbishop is living in luxury because he
drives a seven year old, mid-priced car (probably now worth around
$AUD23,000 ($US 18,000)) and
wears traditional liturgical vestments.
Unfortunately, it is not an implication: His Eminence is living in luxury because he
is living in luxury - in a renovated $6.5m luxury apartment. That he is living there currently has been confirmed by the Archdiocese. This residency was the seminal point made in Roosh’s OP to which I was merely confirming with the posted link. I note your post did not refute the facts of this purchase or the current residency.
After Archbishop Makarios is gone, the church will still own the apartment; the taxpayer neither benefits from nor will ever again see Mr. Anderson's salary.
One may ask what business the Church has even buying property other than the land on which individual churches stand? How does dabbling in the property market help win over hearts in the current spiritual war we all find ourselves? But that’s a larger debate for another day.
We should not assist the enemies of the church, fleshly and spiritual, by spreading slander and engaging in cheap denunciations.
Discern the spirits. Is it the Holy Spirit that is prompting you to spread slander against the church, promoted by a news organization you yourself recognize as "quasi-communist"---or is it another spirit? Are you acting in humility, charity, and truth in amplifying the attacks on a hierarch of the church, who has been a
monk for 28 years, and is prepared to maintain public witness for the Church's teaching on controversial topics, however unpopular that teaching might be?
I fear that a monk of 28 years agreeing to live in a renovated $6.5m luxury apartment in the midst of a global recession which has seen many parishioners experience unemployment would assist the enemies of the Church far more than my posting of a link to a news article on a small online forum. I fear choosing to continue to live in said luxury apartment despite the widespread negative reaction after the
initial June 2020 news report also assists the enemies of the Church.
Whilst I appreciate your deep questions examining my spirit, ultimately it was not I who bought the apartment, nor did I approve the buying of the apartment. And nor did I write the articles reporting on the buying of the apartment.
All my concern is based on the fact that there is currently a large number of souls across the world at the crossroads of good and evil who are questioning how cynical, vacuous, and materialistic the secular world has become. Seeing the head of the Church in Australia having no issue with living in such an overtly secular and materialistic abode, may not help those souls in their search for the right path.
On what basis are you passing judgment on Archbishop Makarios that "there clearly is a level of materialism present that was not seen in this Archbishop's predecessor"? Because he has personalized number plates? Do you then have superior knowledge to that of Father Eusebios, of Pantanassa monastery, who says that
the archbishop's car "always had personalised number plates"---including under his predecessor?
That conclusion was based on the fact that the former Archbishop Stylianos lived in a small apartment far from the Sydney CBD and not in a renovated luxury CBD apartment worth at least six times the median Sydney apartment price. Why did Archbishop Makarios not choose to continue living in the apartment inhabited by Archbishop Stylianos? As for the number plates, I do doubt Archbishop Stylianos had ‘ARCHB
M’ (M for Makarios?) number plates but I’m happy to be corrected.
I’m not sure if you have any direct links to the Archdiocese or not, but I sincerely hope you please take it on board that this is a terrible look for the Church. When Archbishop Makarios arrived in Australia in 2019 it was to a tremendous and spiritually uplifting reaction, particularly among the Orthodox youth. It would be terrible to think that much of that goodwill may have evaporated so quickly.
I wish you a Happy Easter and Christos Anesti.
www.goarch.org
