The Holy Synod sends its own message in view of the Feast of the Annunciation and also of our National Revival, “the great Struggle of countless decisiveness, boldness, courage and sacrifice for freedom.”
Focusing on the faith in God that inspired the Greek Freedom Fighters of 1821, the Holy Synod urges all of us today to “face the risk to our health with constant faith, proclaiming the light of the Resurrection of our Lord.”
As it points out in an announcement, “The Greek Revolution is like no other revolution of the time. Although it draws on ideas from other revolutionary movements of those times, does not replicate any of them. It is a revolution of a national and religious character. It is motivated by the liberation of the Greeks from the Ottomans. It has as a spiritual support the faith in Divine Providence and the respect for the numerous Neo-martyrs who died by confessing their faith in Christ.”
It characteristically points out that “The world is evolving, it changes. Societies are changing. Greece is moving forward. We move forward in full knowledge of the developments, the demands and the needs of our time. Along the way, we preserve the respect of our ancestors for Christ and Greece alive in our souls.
Today, our homeland and humanity as a whole are facing the coronavirus pandemic. Our holy churches do not perform the Sacred Mysteries in order to avoid gatherings and the transmission of the disease. Our unity gains the grace of the Holy Neo-martyrs through our faith, our prayer, the study of the Gospel, our patience and love. We, Orthodox Greeks, stand up with responsibility, puting our hope in God. Just as our Nation endured the oppression of long slavery with faith and prayer and was resurrected, so today we will face the risk to our health with constant faith, proclaiming the light of the Resurrection of our Lord.
1821 inspires us. As an endless source and invitation for alertness. We have a duty to never forget.”