ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHURCH TO

THE GREEK-AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

A Response to Prime Minister Anthony

Albanese

November 2024 During the recent visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the centenary celebrations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, the Prime Minister stated publicly that “For a century, the Church has preserved the culture and language of Australia’s Greek community, connecting generations to their heritage”. With all due respect Prime Minister, you got it wrong! It is our communities that have fought for the preservation of Greek language and culture. As Australians of Greek background who have been actively involved for many decades now, in the affairs of our own community, as well as of the wider Australian society, via community organisations, trade unions, political parties and social movements, we express our disapproval of this historically inaccurate statement. To state that it was the Greek Orthodox Church that maintained and promoted Greek culture and language in Australia is simply wrong! It ignores the hard work and commitment of numerous community groups and individuals who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to build a new home and a new identity, that draws upon the history and culture of both Greece and Australia. Greek community organisations existed long before the arrival of the organised church and until that time, and even after that, they served the religious needs of their members. Prime Minister, it was the established Greek Communities of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and others, that in the early to mid-20th century created the schools that taught and continue to teach Greek to thousands of young Greek Australians for over a century. These same organisations, together with many ordinary working- class Greek Australians during the 70s, lobbied respective state governments to ensure that Greek was taught in the public education system, because apart from a community language it is also an Australian language, thus, making it accessible to all and not just the few. The Prime Minister should know it was cultural and workers organisations that were established in individual states, that provided cultural activities such as theatre, dances, lectures, concerts, sporting events, as well as social services, to the ever- growing Greek communities of that time. Dear Prime Minister, it was members and supporters of various Australian political parties, but especially of your party, that during the 50s, 60s and 70s were at the forefront of the struggle to lay the foundations and principles of Australian multiculturalism? It was the secular communities and their activists not the Church, that fought for the establishment of multiculturalism! In short, Hellenism is broader than Orthodox Christianity, in the same way that Australian culture is broader and more complex than religious denomination. We acknowledge and respect the spiritual and religious role played by the Greek Orthodox Church, but we do not accept your inaccurate historical reference that it “preserved the culture and language of Australia’s Greek community”. This claim does not accord with the historical reality as lived by Greek-Australian communities. Prime Minister, please respect the contributions and the legacy of all those community minded ordinary Greek-Australians and Greek migrants, who built today’s community and today’s Australia. It is the Greek community in its broad and secular forms that continues to nourish education, artistic and cultural development that is inclusive and without discrimination based on gender, sexuality or religious/political beliefs. Signatories Tom Alegounarias Sydney Alayna Alexandrides Adelaide Cassandra Alexandrides Adelaide Con Alexandrides Adelaide Marijah Alexandrides Adelaide Arthur Anagnostou Adelaide Penny Anagnostou Adelaide Mary Anthony Sydney Petro Alexiou Sydney Dr Steve Bakalis Melbourne Vangelis Bogias Adelaide Sylvia Cassoudakis Adelaide Maria Chrysanthou Sydney Dr Con Costa Sydney John Daviskas Sydney Elias Diacolabrianos Melbourne Sophie Diamantis Adelaide Yannis Dramitinos Sydney Manos Foundoulis Sydney Angelo Gavrielatos Sydney Andrew Gavrielatos Sydney Krys Georgiadis Melbourne John Georgiou Melbourne Eleni Glaros Adelaide Anastasia Hatzis Melbourne Athanasia Hatzis Melbourne Eleni Hatzis Melbourne Hellen Hatzis Melbourne Nikolas Hatzis Melbourne Savvas Kallimachos Grigoropoulos Melbourne Alyson Kakakios Sydney Michael Kakakios Sydney Michael Kakogiannis Melbourne Xenofon Kakogiannis Melbourne Phillip Kalogeras Adelaide Georgia Katsifara Kolokitha Melbourne Costas Kazantzis Melbourne Helen Kazantzis Melbourne Panos Kalathas Melbourne Athena Karamarkos Melbourne Kostas Karamarkos Melbourne Marrietta Kokkas Melbourne George Koletsis Melbourne Siobhan Koletsis Melbourne Anthia Kollaras Sydney Matoyla Kollaras Sydney Eleni Eleftherias Kostakidis Sydney Kaliopi Kotis Sydney Michael Kotis Sydney Stanley Koulouris Sydney Joanne Kyrkilis Melbourne Alexander Ladopoulos Sydney Dimitra Lagoudaki Melbourne John Lesses Adelaide Eleni Maltezou Melbourne Effie Maltezos Melbourne Costas Markos Melbourne Theo Markos Melbourne Alex Missiris Sydney Benny Mitropoulos Melbourne Kostas Mitropoulos Melbourne Kostas Mytilinis Sydney Leonidas Naoumis Brisbane Dr Toula Nicolacopoulos Melbourne Agapi Pashos Melbourne Dimitris Paikopoulos Melbourne Kostas Papanikitas Sydney Nick Papanikitas Sydney Dr George Paxinos Sydney Shirley Peshos Sydney Niki Pezaros Melbourne Nondas Pezaros Melbourne Phil Peladarinos Melbourne Evangelos Plokamakis Melbourne P.O. Melbourne Helen Portellos Adelaide Nikos Portellos Adelaide Kyriacos Ppiros Adelaide Panagiotis Ppiros Adelaide Stavroula Ppiros Adelaide Lamprine Rantas Athens Adam Rorris Sydney Arthur Rorris Sydney Stan Salagaras Adelaide Dimitra Sarelas Sydney Peter Sarelas Sydney Jeanette Sdrinis Melbourne Kathy Sdrinis Melbourne Athena Sergianis Melbourne Effie Sfrantzis Melbourne Constantine Spiropoulos Sydney Efthalia Tsiangos Scheidle Melbourne Jim Skazas Melbourne Nikos Soulakis Melbourne Jorge Sotirios Sydney Ellie Speis Adelaide Eleni Stamenitis Melbourne Sotiris Stergiopoulos Melbourne Christine Theodosaki Melbourne Nick Thliveris Sydney Sue Persa Thliveris Sydney Nick Tsaktsiras Melbourne Dr Michael Tsianikas Adelaide Dr Kostas Tsingas Melbourne Con Vaitsas Sydney Stratos Vakkas Melbourne Kathy Valassopoulos Melbourne Alvaro Valenzuela Sydney Dr Stella Valenzuela Sydney Dr George Vassilakopoulos Melbourne Olga Vasilopoulos Melbourne Jim Vergis Sydney Vasso Zangalis Melbourne This statement was send to the Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese MP. The 94 respondents come from the entire spectrum of democratic politics in Australia, and from all walks of life, academics, professionals, business people, unionists, activists, retired and others. A number of them served for a long period of time on the Boards of the three largest secular Greek Australian organisations, namely the Communities of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

Greek Tribune Adelaide, South Australia