Father Michael Apostolopoulos

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece JANUARY 2017 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] DISCIPLINEOUR ARCHBISHOP’S IN THE VIEW HOME Message for the New Year PAGES 5/21 EUROPE IN DEEP Against all odds, hope for Cyprus Now that the whole world is splitting apart, Cyprus, after many years of t ough experi- FREEZE ence, could once again be the e xception, showing that even the mos t difficult problems can be solved. Against all odds. More than 60 people have died in Europe since the be- reached 71. The International Organisation for Migration PAGE 2/18 ginning of the mon th when c old Arctic airmass started (IOM) has expressed its concern for thousands of mi- descending south, toward the Mediterranean. The most grants, asylum seekers and others enduring freezing win- vulnerable, and many of the victims, ar e homeless and ter conditions. Dozens of migrants died due to exposure migrants. The temperatures are expected to somewhat to extremely low temperatures, including those who r e- ease up over the next couple of days in parts of the r e- cently arrived in citie s like Rome and other s in tr ansit gion, but the weather is expected to further deteriorate across the Balkans. later this mon th. There are fears thousands of people In the Balkans, at least 7 people have died since Janu- could die before the winter ends. ary 9, three each in Serbia and Macedonia, and one in Al- While severe winter weather and extremely low tem- bania, media reported. peratures, as low as -30 °C and mor e in some areas, are Six people have also died in Romania, wher e schools affecting much of the south-cen tral and eastern Europe have been close d this w eek. The e xact death toll in since the beginning of the month, the impact of freezing Ukraine is unknown, but media reports vary between 18 temperatures in P oland was felt as early as November and 37 people this month. 2016. Between November 1, 2016 and January 10, 2017, As expected with such potent Arctic airmass outbreak, the toll of h ypothermia deaths in the c ountry has rivers and lakes across the affected region are freezing. A Greek-English baritone lives his own fairy tale in the Vatican Mark Spyropoulos is a British barit one with Greek roots who, two years ago, found him- self in the personal choir of the pope, Capella Musicale Pontifica. PAGE 15/31 Peter Theophilou OAM passes away Diapontia Islands at the age of 76 This group of islands nortw est of Corfu, President of the Parish Community of St Euphemia (Bankstown NSW) and the bilingual day school within it, and where Calypso is said t o have imprisoned presiding member of the NSW Inter Communities Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Mr Pe- Odysseus, provides the perf ect place t o re- ter Theophilou, passed away at midnight on Wednesday January 11, at the age of 76. charge your batteries. *** Condolence Message by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos on p.2/18 PAGE 20/36 2/18 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA JANUARY 2017 Condolence Message The sudden and entirely unanticipat- ed death of the ever-remembered Mr Peter Theophilou, President of the Parish Community of St Euphemia and the bilingual day school within it, to- gether with permanent presiding member of the Inter Communities Council of our Archdiocese, stunned all of us, liter- ally “like a thunderbolt on a clear day”. Surely this fellow-parishioner and friend will be greatly mourned. This wholly energetic and unwavering friend of Country did not aspire to have a career in politics within our community, but always acted quietly, trying in every way to give to his co-workers, both clergy and laity, the highest example of hard work and selflessness. Personally, I feel deeply indebted for all his contribution towards dealing with all the challenges confronting our people and the Greek nation, so that, if my health will allow it, I will conduct the funeral service in person, as a most slight indication of my immeasurable gratitude and honour. If not, my tireless Vicar-General, His The late Mr Peter Theophilou OAM Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonia, will represent me in this most signifi- cant duty. special function annually, in this way erence towards the Great Martyr, St Eu- will deal with the common issues of our I limit myself, therefore, in this in- making them devoted supporters of the phemia, so that any new success, he people, towards the eternal memory of stance, to this brief condolence mes- entire work of the Parish Community would attribute as being specifically this great hero of faith and love. Amen. sage of mine, which is certainly directed and the College of St Euphemia. miracles of this saint. primarily to his family, but at the same The reverence, indeed, of this blessed Let us hope that this unique example In Sydney, 12th January, 2017 time to his many clients of his Account- child of Cyrpus, his particularly afflicted of Peter Theophilou might provide, for Archbishop S T Y L I A N O S ing Office, for whom he would hold a homeland, was comparable to his rev- a long time, inspiration to all those who Against all odds, hope for Cyprus Nikos Konstandaras – Kathimerini, Athens No one expects that solving the Cyprus issue will be easy. No one besides the Cypriots themselves has a right to set terms for and possible obstacles in the way of a solution. No one expects that problems which ex- isted for decades, and mentalities forged in fire and war, which dominate memories on both sides, will dis- appear. We all understand the difficulty that people face in accepting the end of the current state of affairs in exchange for something that they are not sure will benefit them. However difficult the present situation, it is familiar, and familiarity breeds a sense of security. There are very few instances when ethnic groups dared to give up their rights or guarantees in exchange for living with other, different groups. In the case of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots have the benefit of being the majority and of running a recognized state; the Turkish Cypriots are isolated but also have the support of Turkish arms and a heavy dependence on Turkey. Both sides have much to give up and much to gain from peaceful coexistence. It is up to the Cypriots to reassure their citizens, to conciliate their two communities, to overcome the voic- es that reject any compromise. It is their business, but proposed banning Muslims from entering, whose plans Russia – ought to support the two sides and not seek the stakes are much bigger. A t a time when divisions could shut millions of people out of their country’s gains on the basis of their own interests. are growing across the world between national, class health system, who says that he will scrap international Humanity’s course is not linear. It goes forward and and religious groups, when European unity is at stake, agreements, can we expect the communities of a small back, up and down. During most of the years of stabili- when powerful countries focus more on their specific country to do the opposite and bring down the wall be- ty of the Pax Americana, Cyprus was divided and a interests rather than the collective good, a decision by tween them? This will occur only when the majority on source of tension. Now that the whole world is splitting two communities to reunite in a federation would pro- both sides believes that cooperation and coexistence apart, Cyprus, after many years of tough experience, vide a message of hope. will benefit them immediately and in the long term, could once again be the exception, showing that even But when the United States elected president a man overcoming domestic opposition. Those outside Cyprus the most difficult problems can be solved. Against all who promised a wall on the border with Mexico, who – whether Greece, Turkey, the EU, the United States or odds. JANUARY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19 Opinion The Turkey tutorial to fear By N. Konstandaras - Kathimerini, Athens Turkey is sinking ever deeper into trouble at home and abroad. The dangers it faces concern not only its own people, its social cohesion and territorial integrity, but also provide lessons for the rest of the world. The first concerns the ease with which an elected gov- ernment can slide into authoritarianism when it under- mines institutions; the second is how quickly citizens can be divided under the influence of nationalism, pop- ulism and political cynicism; the third concerns the per- ils of subjugating foreign policy to domestic needs. Authoritarianism was always part of Turkish political life. In Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s effort to become om- nipotent through a change of constitution, however, his excesses (which, we must stress, were tempered in his clashes with a “deep state” that repeatedly tried to de- mestic consumption leads to haphazard foreign policy. even as IS followers and Kurdish separatists increase stroy him), have driven the country into the current cri- First, Ankara abandoned a long friendship with Bashar their attacks inside Turkey. sis. al-Assad’s Syria, contributing to the rise of the self-de- The country thus sinks into further violence, division After surviving the attempted coup last July – which clared Islamic State and bringing Turkey into direct con- and economic difficulties.

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