Communique from the Episcopal Assembly of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia

30 March 2022

Episcopal Assembly

of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia

COMMUNIQUE

The 13th Meeting of the Bishops of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia took place in Sydney, on the 28th and 29^th of March 2022, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

At the meeting, His Eminence conveyed the warm wishes and blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to their Graces, the God-loving Bishops, and informed them about current issues and initiatives of the local Church. Subsequently, all the items on the agenda were examined and we announce to the gracious clergy and Christ-loving people of Australia the following:

1. The 12th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia will take place in January 2023. Meanwhile, the Archdiocesan Council will convene to arrange further details, while the national Meeting of Priests will take place next October in Sydney.

2. A National Philoptohos Association of Australia is being founded, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios and respective Central Philoptohos Associations are being established in all the sees of the Archdiocesan Districts, which will be led by the local God-loving Bishop of the relevant District.

3. Within the canonical boundaries of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, there are Ukrainian communities which, until recently, belonged to the so-called and never canonically recognised “Patriarchate of Kiev”. After the granting of Autocephaly in Ukraine by the Mother Church of Constantinople, a special committee, appointed by Archbishop Makarios, studied the prevailing situation and the legal conditions for the inclusion of these Communities in the jurisdiction of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. Already, it has decided that the Ukrainian Parish Communities of St Sava in Sydney and St Basil the Great in Newcastle will join the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. We lovingly remind the other Ukrainian Communities that the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine under Metropolitan Epiphany has no canonical jurisdiction within the boundaries of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, and that the commemoration of the Bishop is not a matter of choice for each clergyman but a canonical issue which, for centuries, has been regulated by the Church through the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils.

4. The self-proclaimed “Archimandrite” or “Abbot” or “Vicar-General” Nektarios Alexandratos recently announced that a vicarship was established in Australia under the so-called “Patriarchate of Kiev” and by the self-proclaimed “Patriarch Philaretos”. For the canonical Orthodox Church, there is no “Patriarchate of Kiev” and Philaretos, as a self-proclaimed “Patriarch” is not recognised by any canonical Orthodox Church nor, of course, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Therefore, his administrative acts and the sacraments he performs are invalid and non-existent for the Orthodox Church everywhere.

5. The same applies to Nektarios Alexandratos who portrays himself as a clergyman. The said gentleman, some time ago passed through several Metropolises of the Church of Greece, insisting that he was a canonical priest of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. When, after the Eminent Metropolitans communicated with our Archbishop, his lie was revealed and he returned to Australia and joined the anti-canonical ecclesiastical formation under the leadership of someone called Luke, an “Archbishop”. Subsequently, he joined another anti-canonical ecclesiastical establishment based in the United States under the leadership of Melchizedek, so-called, “Archbishop of the Church of Palestine in America”, and finally joined the non-existent “Patriarch” Philaretos announcing the establishment of a pseudo-vicarship. At one point, he also pretended to be a doctor, without having a medical degree or licence, for which he was prosecuted. In general, Mr Alexandratos, who presents from time to time under the following names: Panayiotis Marlassi-Bouras, Panayiotis Mariassi-Bouras, Panagiotis Bouras, Panos Bouras, Panos Marlassi and Arana Hokianga, has been implicated in the Greek and Australian judicial system and the mass media. He even posts photos on the internet from Churches to which he does not belong, including the Monastery of Archangel Michael of the canonical, under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Holy Metropolis of New Zealand. We draw the attention of the faithful of Australia that this person is not a genuine priest, which is why the “sacraments” that he “performs” are not recognised by any Orthodox Church. We urge the said gentleman to stop wearing the holy cassock of priests, deceiving the people of God, and to ask for the forgiveness of the Church and the mercy of God.

6. Finally, we authoritatively declare that no Parish or Community of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia has joined or intends to join the new anti-canonical body known as the “vicarship of the Patriarchate of Kiev in Australia”. What is being said about the accession of parishes of the Archdiocese to the pseudo-vicarship is journalistic inaccuracy and an attempt to misinform the people.

7. His Eminence and the members of the local Hierarchy wish the entire plenitude of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia a good remainder of Holy and Great Lent. They also wholeheartedly wish for all to celebrate the impending great feast of Pascha with unity and love, having the grace and joy of the Resurrection of our Lord.