ENCYCLICAL OF HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN SOTIRIOS, FOR MARCH 25TH

MARCH 2011

Reverend Fathers, Honourable Presidents,

Esteemed Members of the Community Councils

Philoptochos Societies, Teachers, Students, & Youth

And to the entire plenitude of our Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)

March 25th, 1821
Historical Lessons

By Metropolitan Sotirios

T

he over one- thousand year life span and the crowning achievements at the zenith of glory of the Byzantine Empire, was the creation and the result of the joining together of the Hellenic spirit and thought baptized by Christian truth and teaching. What made this possible, of course, was the excellent administrative and management skills that the Roman Empire had taught the world.

Some will disagree with my opinion and position on this, but this is their concern. This does not exclude, of course, any discussion or debate on this issue in good faith.
Each decline or bankruptcy comes about primarily due to a moral collapse and decline, which always comes first. Any other decline or collapse necessarily follows the moral and ethical decline, whether it is political, administrative, financial and so on. The same thing happened in the Byzantine Empire.

As long as its citizens – the people, the administration and the Church – upheld and lived their lives in an ethical and principled manner, the Empire progressed and achieved great accomplishments. When its people abandoned their moral and ethical principles along with their spiritual values, they were impoverished both spiritually and materially, and then the Byzantine Empire went into decline and ultimately collapsed. It is not possible in this Encyclical, due to limitations of time and space, to expand into details.

In the four hundred years of Ottoman slavery, where almost everything was taken away from our people - especially the pursuit of freedom - the conscience of the people was awakened. They returned once more to their moral principles and values. They were strengthened and became mighty spiritually, and they took the heroic decision to sacrifice themselves "for their country, their family and for the Holy Faith in Christ.”

They fought and they won due to their spiritual strength, and not simply by their military arms, which in reality hardly existed. When comparing the military hardware on both sides, the struggle was certainly unequal. The enemy surpassed them in military might. But conversely, on the basis of spiritual fortitude, the race was again uneven. The enemy was aged and spiritually paralyzed. Thus, the outcome of the military campaign was ultimately based upon the spiritual strength and fortitude of the Hellenic freedom fighters.

The declaration of the revolution of 1821 and the righteousness of the struggle for independence, is an historic watershed - not only for Greeks but for all mankind. And not only is it an historical watershed in history, but it is also an eternal lesson. Those who sincerely want to learn, will learn that the ethical and moral crisis brings after it, every other kind of crisis and decline.

But the historical lesson continues. During the years of the Greek revolution, the discord between the leaders of the revolution brought them many times to the brink of disaster, and threatened the very existence of the victorious revolution.

After the victory of the revolution of 1821, we have historical events and periods in Greek history that were sometimes bright and at other times dark. The greatest historical mistake of the past was the dispute between the King and Venizelos, which resulted in the debacle of the Asia Minor Disaster. Another example of similar discord can be observed with the Greeks in World War II, which ultimately brought about the Greek Civil War. In both examples, moral and ethical principles were in decline, and this resulted in catastrophe.

Today, Greece - which could have existed on a much higher plateau than the ancient epochs of glory as well as in the Byzantine era - so that it might shine and illuminate the whole world and be praised by the whole world, is instead going through a terrible finanical crisis. The causes of this economic crisis is the relinquishing of moral principles and values. Without morals and values, there can be no good governance and management. And the result, with mathematical precision, is destruction. However, we know that "Greece never dies." It will overcome this terrible economic crisis and it will again rise in glorious accomplishments, as it did before, and will shine again and in perpetuity with its ancient splendour and glory. Nobody should be disheartened. Everyone must be optimistic and to work together for the glory of Greece.

We live in Canada. As Greeks, we are the descendants of our forefathers: the ancient Greeks, the Byzantine Greeks; and the off-spring of Modern Greece. We are blessed to be the inheritors of the glory of ancient Greece and Christian culture, and we partake of their moral principles and values. When we firmly maintain and uphold these moral values and principles, we manage ourselves properly, along with our institutions.

Celebrating our national anniversary of March 25th 1821 again this year, I urge us all to stand on guard at the ramparts. Let us stand on guard to maintain our moral principles and the values of our people and our Orthodox faith. Only then will we be worthy descendants of our heroic ancestors. We will then honour them properly. We can then partake worthily of the glory of ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and the revolution of 1821. We will then truly savour and enjoy freedom. We will truly succeed in our endeavours. We will be an example for those around us. Our ancestors will also be proud of us.

Living and rejoicing in this union of the Greek and Christian spirits, let us continue on our up-ward course on earth, culminating in eternity and the inheritance of Kingdom of God, basking in eternal happiness in the arms of our Loving God.

Long live March 25th 1821! Long live Greece! Long live Canada! Long live freedom!

With fatherly love and fervent prayers,

+ Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of Toronto (Canada)