Message from His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia concerning the floods in New South Wales

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia expresses his deepest sorrow and pain, for the  unspeakable devastation caused by the unprecedented floods that have swept through the east of the country, resulting in the deaths of at least twenty people in Queensland and New South Wales, the displacement of thousands from their homes and the incalculable damage to households and public infrastructure.

As New South Wales remains in the throes of extreme weather, His Eminence expresses his support for those who continue to fight unequal battles with destructive floods, and in particular to the members of the rescue teams who are fighting this disaster with self-sacrifice in the field of crisis.

“It is necessary to maintain in full our hope and trust in the All-Good God”, His Eminence emphasises in his message, urging the faithful to continue to intensify their prayers, “with a warm heart and unshakable faith that our heavenly Father will not abandon us.”

His Eminence points out that the local Church will not abandon anyone, but will be present the next day, both in the titanic struggle to heal the wounds of the current ordeal, and in the parallel struggle to realise the urgent need to protect the natural environment.

The following is the full message from the Archbishop of Australia:

———————————————–

My beloved children,

With deep sadness and pain I follow the images of the unspeakable disaster caused by extreme weather events, which are unfolding for the second week in areas of the east coast of Australia.

I pray for the rest of the souls of our fellow human beings who have lost their lives and for the consolation from above for their relatives and loved ones, as well as for the relief of the injured and the wounded and for the strengthening of those who continue to fight the unequal battle with the destructive floods , especially the members of the rescue teams who are fighting this disaster with self-sacrifice in the field of crisis.

In these difficult and tragic hours for the whole of the Australian society and especially for the people of New South Wales, who are still experiencing heavy rains and unprecedented floods, it is necessary to maintain in full our hope and trust in the All-Good God. I urge you to continue and to intensify your prayers, with a warm heart and a firm conviction that our heavenly Father will not abandon us.

In such way, as our local Church will not abandon anyone, which I assure you,  the Church will be present the next day. The Church is present now at the titanic struggle before us for the healing of the wounds from the current ordeal, but also at the parallel struggle for the realisation of the urgent need to protect the natural environment, of our “common home” as our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has said many times.

May you all have the blessing of God and the loving protection of our Panagia, the Mother of God.