Archbishop Philip Freier
6 August 2024
Later in the year, in October, the Greek Orthodox Church will host a visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew 1, the 270th bishop to exercise ministry in the see of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch is primus inter pares (first among equals) amongst the Eastern Orthodox bishops. The occasion of his visit is the centenary of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia. I hope that we will have opportunity to welcome this successor to St Andrew to Melbourne and to St Paul’s Cathedral as his schedule is settled. The visit to Australia of the Ecumenical Patriarch comes at a difficult time of military conflict between two predominantly Orthodox nations, Ukraine and Russia.
It was a pleasure to meet Professor Anastasios Tamis in April and to receive his book on the growth and recognition of the Greek diaspora and with it, Greek history and culture throughout the world. Of particular interest to me was his commentary on the role played by Melbourne Anglicans in the welcome and recognition of Orthodox Christians from the 19th century onwards. Notable amongst these early initiatives was the encouragement of the third Bishop of Melbourne, Field Flowers Goe, for Orthodox Christians to gather in the Anglican Mission Room in East Melbourne for services in Arabic and Greek. Goe himself attended these services and pronounced the blessing in Arabic to those in attendance. He authorised a prominent member of the Melbourne Syrian community, Katarr Keamy to act as a Lay Reader and to interpret the sermon given in English by a member of the Anglican clergy. With a generous sense of compassion for this small community, Bishop Goe approached the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem to ask for his blessing on this ministry amongst the Melbourne Syrians and Greeks.
Read more: Orthodox icons draw Australian Anglican’s gaze
In 1892, the Jerusalem Patriarch, Gerassimos, granted permission for Orthodox people to be baptised, married, and buried by Melbourne Anglican clergy according to the rites of the Greek Orthodox Church. Further Anglican representations, including to the Patriarch of Antioch, were made to encourage the appointment of an Orthodox priest to serve this community. Friendly relationships continued over the next decades and were demonstrated in 1932 when Metropolitan Timotheos Evangelinidis, the second Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australasia, was welcomed by Archbishop Frederick Waldegrave Head to St Paul’s Cathedral. Well attended by both clergy and laity, the service in St Paul’s witnessed to the Anglican work that had helped the Orthodox believers maintain their faith and community in those difficult early days in Melbourne. Timotheos also declared his commitment to work towards the unity of Christians and the reunion of the separated churches.
Conflict in Europe prompted large numbers of Greek people to emigrate to Australia in the 1920’s and in the post World War Two period. A large and confident Greek Orthodox community is now visible in many parts of Australia. For all of the reasons of history and contemporary witness it will be a delight to share with this community in the celebration of the Centenary of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia
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