LAST UPDATE: 18:05
In the need to preserve the Greek language, one of the most important global cultural goods, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred, yesterday, immediately after the Divine Liturgy at the Phanar, where he addressed a speech to teachers and pupils from Greece and Cyprus, who participated in the 7th International Student Literature Conference, which was held at the Zographeio Lyceum of Constantinople and was dedicated to the work and contribution of the late Antonis Samarakis.
“I insist and ask and advise teachers and especially philologists to pay special attention to the teaching and learning of the Greek language, which we Greeks often condemn it,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch, who at the same time stated that he is proud of the importance of the Greek language, taught in many universities around the world.
The Ecumenical Patriarch stressed that “we should cease defaming and underestimating the Greek language. The educational reform that took place in Greece a few decades ago, has wronged the Greek language. And the monotonic orthography, although it facilitates the pupils, has wronged the Greek language too. I hope that our philologists will help our children, all of you, to love the Greek language more, even if the exams might seem difficult to you, especially in ancient Greek. But, when you are going to talk to your foreign friends, later you may go to universities abroad and see how interested your foreign colleagues and fellow students are in learning the Greek language, the ancient Greek language, you will see how many of our own words are used by foreigners and you will feel proud, and then you will remember the words of the Patriarch.”
Source: ANA-MPA