Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece announced that the Church of Greece will organise 261 events across Greece next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
“Other peoples rebelled against their church. We, the Greeks, however, fought in 1821, together with our Orthodox Church, which nurtured us with the desire for liberation,” he said, adding that the land in Greece is drenched in the blood of freedom fighters and of the priesthood.
Archbishop Ieronymos also announced that with the blessing of the Holy Community of Mount Athos, the Church of Greece in Athens will receive the miraculous Icon of The Theotokos “Axion Esti”.
“Especially today it is necessary in a spirit of national solidarity to be ready to face all those who, with provocative moves, raise illegal claims against our homeland. Always striving for peaceful coexistence, but making it clear that 1821 is for us a school of memory and a source of power. We remember because we want to have a future. And we celebrate our glorious past, because that ensures a solid proposition for a meaningful life, national and personal,” he concluded.
As part of its initiative to mark the bicentenary, the government has set up a committee which will stage events in Athens, regional Greek towns and cities abroad.
