Kythira, Attica, Greece, August 11, 2023
Photo: tasthyras.files.wordpress.com
Greece and the entire world are going through hard times, but Orthodox Christians must take heart, because we have all the “Divine weapons of our Christian faith and Divine love” at our disposal, writes the Greek Orthodox hierarch of Kythira.
His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira writes in his pastoral letter for the period of the Dormition Fast:
Our fervent faith in the Crucifixion and redemptive sacrifice of our Lord, together with the heartfelt worship of the Crucified One, on the one hand, and the Divine love and living faith, both of the Holy Maccabees and the Holy Martyr Elesa, the patron and guardian of Kythira, on the other, are extremely necessary for our challenging and difficult times.
The feasts of the Procession of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the Maccabean Martyrs, and St. Elesa are all celebrated on August 1, the first day of the Dormition Fast.
Among the trying times, His Eminence mentions, “The war in the north between the Orthodox peoples of Russia and Ukraine, which continues to escalate, with a threat of global expansion.”
Further: “The harsh and relentless persecution of the clergy and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Metropolitan Onuphry, similar to the persecutions endured by the early Christian Church under Nero, Diocletian, and others, while “we are asleep.”
Met. Seraphim has continually defended the canonical Ukrainian Church, refusing to recognize the schismatics created by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. And in March of this year, he called on the Greek Holy Synod to condemn the ongoing persecution of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
The Metropolitan also mentions the terrible wildfires that annually sweep through Greece, exacerbated by “the month-long drought due to a lack of sufficient rainfall and water scarcity.”
And addressing the increasing acceptance of sinful lifestyles, His Eminence states:
And in the moral and spiritual realm, we stumble. From the official podium of the Hellenic Parliament, and from the lips of the Prime Minister, in their programmatic statements, an unheard-of claim was heard: The people have matured and are ready to accept and safely embrace same-sex marriages and adoptions by these “couples.” If this is considered “maturity,” then words lose their meaning.
Met. Seraphim refers to the Biblical accounts of the global flood, which wiped out nearly all of mankind because of the prevailing wickedness, and of Sodom and Gomorrah.
“Those Sodomite sins, which were once carried out recklessly and shamelessly, now wear the ‘garment’ of legitimacy and normality. That is why they are even greater and more burdensome,” the hierarch warns.
He also addresses the issue of the new ID cards that are to be issued in Greece starting in September. Electronic identification cards have been a volatile issue in Greece for decades. Holy elders such as St. Paisios have warned about them, and the clergy and the people have rallied against them.
Met. Seraphim writes:
And other serious issues are emerging on the horizon at this time. We will only focus on one of them for now, the issue of new electronic IDs, which were announced for the near future (September) and cause anxieties and concerns among our fellow men, who also express our own concerns. Since we do not have definitive and final information about them, we will limit ourselves to the following: If in their final form they bear the number of the beast from the Book of Revelation (666) and electronic tracking, then let every Christian seriously contemplate and freely express their position in the face of their responsibilities.
Holy and discerning Athonite Fathers were cautious and negative about it as long as these electronic IDs have the aforementioned elements. A recent poll showed that a Christian gathering in Northern Greece also had a negative attitude about it, with 87% opposing their implementation. Let the authorities take this into consideration and take appropriate measures if they truly want to protect their citizenry.
However, as Orthodox Christians, we have great hope, despite any and all hardships and trials:
In the face of all the aforementioned threats that loom menacingly on the horizon of our Greek Orthodox homeland, let us not only resist but also wield, during this brief period leading up to the 15th of August, the Divine weapons of our Christian faith and Divine love. Let us engage in heartfelt and conscientious worship of our All-Holy Triune God…
May the Divine Power of the Precious Cross, the Crucified love of our Divine Redeemer, and the fervent faith of the Holy Maccabees and our holy patroness and guardian, the Venerable Martyr Elesa of our island, united with Divine love, inspire us, strengthen us, and grant us grace in the spiritual struggle of the upcoming period leading to the 15th of August.
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