Tidying Greek Orthodox Education

ENCYCLICAL FOR GREEK LETTERS

By Metropolitan Sotirios

Greece and Hellenism worldwide need a proper tidying and to be put in order. A tidy house has a pleasant atmosphere. In such a house you can live a life of happiness and success.

Recently, Greece is anything but being tidy and in order.  Let those who live in Greece talk about Greece themselves.  We should look and make sure that our house here in Canada where we live and work is in order.

Our house in Canada is our Church, our Community. Let us ask ourselves:  is our home tidy and operating as it should?  We will be able to certify this if we look at the state of Greek Orthodox Education.

All our communities have Greek Orthodox schools. But how well do they operate and how successful are they?

The aim of Greek Orthodox Education is key and essential for the perpetuation and progress of our people, but to also enter and inherit the Heavenly Kingdom of God. Greek Orthodox Education helps put our house in order and it enriches the child's soul.
   Some parents expect their children to be Greek and Orthodox, without taking care to teach their children the Greek language, the Orthodox faith, and Hellenic Christian ideals. When they see their children abandon these family Greek traditions and, their Greek Orthodox faith somewhere down the road, these same parents will get indignant, angry, and start to yell and insult those they blame.  They will pin the blame on everyone else, except themselves. All others are to blame:  society, Priests, teachers, community leaders – everyone, except than themselves.

How will our children remain Greek Orthodox, if they are not taught Greek learning and Christian Orthodoxy? And who is primarily responsible for this?

The Apostle Paul in Ephesus, asked twelve Christians if they had received the Holy Spirit. And they replied: “what is this? Nobody ever taught us about a Holy Spirit.”
   We ask our children if they are Greek Orthodox, and they respond either with words or even with silence:  “What is this? Who taught us? Whose responsibility is this?”

The responsibility lies first and foremost with the parents of these children. Then, the Clergy and the Church, as well as the Metropolitan and the Community leaders. The Metropolitan, Clergy, the Church, and our communities all have the responsibility to have well-organized schools. Parents have the responsibility to take their children to schools, but they themselves must also speak the Greek language in the home, and to actively live the Orthodox faith.

I stated at the beginning that Greek Orthodox Education is essential for the perpetuation of our people, our culture and for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. Think for a moment. At the final judgement, Christ will address your child and say:  “Why, my child, do you not believe in Me?” The child will reply: “I do not know You. Nobody ever told me about you.”  Christ will then address the parents, the community leaders, the Clergy, and the Metropolitan, and ask: “Where were you? Why did you not teach your child to believe in me and in God?”  What will you then answer?

 It seems to me that we are all guilty when it comes to the matter of Greek Orthodox Education. We do not do as much as we should. We must repent. That is to say, we much change our manner of living and operating. We must do more for the advancement and success of Greek Orthodox education. This is truly a matter of life and death for the perpetuation of our people and for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.
   We will have no excuse in History and before Christ Himself, if we do not do more for the advancement of Greek Orthodox Education than we are already doing.  Proper and correct Greek Orthodox Education is the best way of tidying up and keeping our house in order.

With fatherly love and best wishes,

Metropolitan Sotirios of Toronto