Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has departed for Australia

On Thursday, 3 October 2024, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, departed from his headquarters, for an official visit to Australia, following the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and the Prime Minister of Australia Mr. Anthony Albanese, in order to lead the celebratory events for the centenary of the establishment of the Holy Archdiocese.

The official reception of His All-Holiness in Sydney will take place on Saturday morning, at 10:30am (local time), by the Governor of New South Wales Mrs. Margaret Beazley, AC, KC, Representative of the Crown, the Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese, the local Shepherd, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the Holy Eparchial Synod, and other Authorities, the holy clergy and the faithful people of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. Immediately after, the Patriarch will perform the Inauguration of the renovated Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady and a Doxology will follow on the occasion of the Patriarchal visit and the centenary of the establishment of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia.

At noon, His All-Holiness will have a personal meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia, at  the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister of Australia, and then with the Governor at the Government House of NSW.

In the afternoon of the same day, at the Central Amphitheatre of the University of Sydney, the Ecumenical Patriarch will be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Saint Andrew’s Theological College and will attend an event of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia.

On Sunday, 6 October, the Patriarch will preside at the Divine Liturgy, which will be celebrated at the International Convention Centre (ICC), at the end of which he will hand over to the Archbishop and the Holy Eparchial Synod the new Constitution of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. The Divine Liturgy will be attended by Mr. Chris Minns MP, Premier of New South Wales, while immediately afterwards the Patriarch will tonsure the new Archons of the Holy Great Church of Christ, from the flock of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, who will constitute the Order of Archons of Christ the Saviour.

In the afternoon, His All-Holiness will attend the First celebratory Session of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia.

During his stay in Sydney, the Patriarch will visit Parishes and Foundations of the Holy Archdiocese, will meet with the brotherhoods and sisterhoods of Monasteries, will celebrate a Trisagion at the graves of the late Archbishops of Australia Theophylactos and Stylianos, will be declared an Honorary Doctor of the University of Notre Dame, in the context of an honorary event of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, while he will also have a meeting with the heads of the Christian Churches in Australia.

The Patriarch will also visit the Governor-General of Australia and Representative of the Crown, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, the NSW Parliament, he will have meetings with the Ambassador of the Turkish Republic in Australia, with the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, while he will also have a meeting with the members of the Imbrian Association of Sydney and NSW.

On Saturday, 12 October, His All-Holiness will travel on the Prime Minister’s Plane to Melbourne, and the following day, Sunday, he will preside at the Divine Liturgy, which will be held at the Margaret Court Arena, in the presence of The Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of the State of Victoria and Representative of the Crown.

Afterwards, there will be a parade of the Greeks of the city of Melbourne, in honour of His All-Holiness, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Australia.

During His All-Holiness’ stay in the city of Melbourne, he will visit the Offices of the Holy Dioceses of Melbourne and Chora, Parishes, Foundations and Schools, he will have meetings with the Governor of Victoria, and with the State Premier The Hon Jacinta Allan MP, he will visit the Consulate of Greece, the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne, the Australian Wildlife Health Centre, Healesville Sanctuary, while he will have meetings with the members of the local Imbrian and Cretan Associations. His All-Holiness will also visit the residence of his brother, Mr. Nikolaos Archontonis, who lives there, while he will also meet with his other relatives.

The Patriarchal Entourage consists of Their Eminences, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, Metropolitan Filotheos of Thessaloniki, The Grand Protosyncellus Archimandrite Gregorios and the Grand Ecclesiarch Archimandrite Aetios, Director of the Personal Patriarchal Office, Patriarchal Deacon Evlogios, Codifier of the Holy and Sacred Synod, the Nun Iakovi, Abbess of the Holy Hesychastyrion of the Holy Forerunner in Akritochori, Archon Didaskalos of the Nation Mr. Konstantinos Delikostanis, Director of the First Patriarchal Office, and Archon Didaskalos of the Church Mr. Theodoros Yiangou, Professor of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Mr. Nicholas – George Papachristou, Director of the Patriarchal Press and Communication Office, Mr. Themistoklis Karanikolas, an employee of the Patriarchate, and Mr. Christos Archontonis, nephew of His All-Holiness.

His All-Holiness was escorted to the Airport of Constantinople by Their Eminences, Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi and Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches, who were appointed for the duration of the trip as Patriarchal Commissioner and Protosyncellus respectively.