19 June 2014
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THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece JUNE 2014 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] OUR ARCHBISHOP’S VIEW Obedience andDISCIPLINE Discipline - CharacteristicsIN THE HOME of the Faithful PAGE 5/23 DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION: THOUSANDS EXHIBITION: OF GREEKS Greek treasures travel in Australia PAGE 4/22 arriving in Australia According to statistics of the Department of Immigra- tion 33,951 Australians, Greek Australians and Greek mi- grants and visitors arrived in Australia during the 2012- 2013 financial year. The majority of the arrivals were short-term residents with the intention to stay less than a year rather than to settle. Many came with the intention to scan the situa- tion in Australia and stay here until the crisis in Greece is over. Only 501 Greeks arrived in Australia as migrants, com- pared to 1,023 Australian residents of Greek origin, who returned to the country for a long-term stay. Visitors arrived in large numbers, too, with 9,286 Greeks entering Australia in 2012-2013, most of them for a short-term stay. Among them were those on temporary Samaras: ‘New cabinet resident visas, students and tourists-visitors. will be one In addition, the Department of Immigration data showed an important number of arrivals from Cyprus. In to oversee recovery’ fact, 10,004 Cypriots arrived in Australia over the last fi- 2,417 as visitors, including students and those holding nancial year, with 7,372 as short-term residents and temporary residence visas. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras de- scribed his new cabinet of 45 ministers and deputy ministers, as one that will be able to “plan for Greece’s future”. Queensland visit by His Grace PAGE 13 31 / Bishop Seraphim PAGES 12/30-13/31 Poros: Sailing toward a dream Praised by literary giants, this Saronic island is a charming place of great historical interest. PAGE 20/38 JUNE 2014 2/20 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR THEOLOGICAL STUDENTS St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College took part in the thirtieth graduation ceremony of the Sydney College of Divinity (SCD) on 10 May. On a beautiful Syd- ney morning, around 600 people attended the Great Hall of the University of Sydney to celebrate the aca- demic achievements of 172 graduates from the seven member institutions of the SCD and its affiliates. The various degrees and awards were presented by the President of the SCD Council, Mr Peter King. A distinct honour for St Andrew’s in particular was the presentation of two academic prizes to one of its own graduating students, Stefan Mastilovic from New Zea- land. He was the recipient of the Dianne Feeney Memo- rial Prize for gaining the highest level of achievement in the Bachelor of Theology pass degree among all of this year’s graduates, and well as the recipient of the Rev. Dr Brian Murray Memorial Prize for the highest level of achievement in the discipline of theology specifically. Stefan is the fourth recipient of the Dianne Feeney Prize to have studied at St Andrew’s since the prize was es- tablished by the SCD more than two decades ago. The graduates from St Andrew’s were Archdeacon Siluan Mrakic (Master of Theology), George Tsikritsakis (Master of Arts), Theodoros Dimitrios (Graduate Certifi- cate in Arts in absentia), Rev. Prohoros Anastasiadis (Bachelor of Theology), Stefan Mastilovic (Bachelor of Theology), Rev. Evangelos Thiani (Bachelor of Theology in absentia), Deacon George Vrionis (Assoc. Degree of Christian Thought and Practice), Con Farrugia (Diploma of Christian Studies) and Chrysovalantis Sideris (Diplo- Back row (l to r): G. Tsikritsakis, C. Farrugia, Rev. P. Anastasiadis, Rev. G. Vrionis, S. Mastilovic, Rev. S. Mrakic. ma of Christian Studies in absentia). Front row: Prof. A. Karantonis, His Grace Bishop Seraphim, Dr P. Kariatlis, Dr G. Fox. The Occasional Address was delivered by Prof. Anne Cummins, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Learning with Rev. Constantine Varipatis and Mr Dimitri Kepreo- of Theology - since St Andrew’s opened in 1986. and Teaching) of the Australian Catholic University. St tes also in attendance. For more information regarding courses, news, publi- Andrew’s was represented in the academic procession The latest group of graduates brought to 126 the to- cations and events, visit www.sagotc.edu.au where by His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonias, Prof. Ange- tal number of graduates - receiving 154 SCD degrees you can also link to the College’s YouTube channel and lo Karantonis, Dr Gregory Fox and Dr Philip Kariatlis, and awards at various levels, but primarily the Bachelor Facebook page. Huffington Post: Archimedes was the greatest scientist who ever lived Huffington Post this time pays tribute to Archimedes, naming him the greatest scientist who ever lived. The scientist who personifies the greatest achievements of Greek and Western science was Archimedes. He applied mathematics for the under- standing of the natural world and the cosmos. In one of his books, ‘Ψαμμίτης’ (Psam- mites), or The Sand-Reckoner, Archime- des attempted to measure the size of the universe by calculating the number of the grains of sand necessary to fill the cosmos (sphere of the fixed stars). Archimedes correctly measured the angle of seeing the sun in the sky: 32 to 27 sixtieths of a degree. “The diameter of the sun,” he said in The Sand-Reckoner, “is about 30 times greater than the diameter of the moon and not greater…. The diameter of the sun is greater than the side of the chil- iagon [a thousand-sided polygon] in- gineer and an inventor. scribed in the greatest circle in the In fact, like Aristotle before him, he set [sphere of the] universe.” the foundations of Greek and Western Archimedes was born in Syracuse, Sici- science. In a metaphorical sense, all ly, in 287 B.C.E. He was also a philo-so- Western science is a series of footnotes pher, an astronomer, a physicist, an en- to Archimedes. JUNE 2014 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21 D-Day and the battle for Europe By Nikos Konstandaras Today, 10 years later, the European Union is in crisis. (Kathimerini, Athens) Many member states are in great economic difficulty; deflation, unemployment and debt (public and private) Seventy years ago, 156,000 Allied soldiers began their threaten the eurozone; widening inequality between battle for a beachhead on the coast of Normandy, set- member states and between social groups is reawaken- ting off a sequence of events which, along with the ad- ing tensions that were dormant in the years of growth vance of Soviet forces in the east, would result in the and prosperity, threatening the cohesion of the bloc defeat of German forces which occupied Europe from and of many of its members. Looking for ways to ensure France to Greece. June 6, 1944, is one of the most im- their peoples’ welfare even as debt makes this impossi- portant days in the history of our blood-soaked conti- ble, the EU’s leaders are trapped: On the one hand, nent. 17 heads of state took part in memorial services they understand the need to strengthen the Union in on one of the beaches where thousands of young men order to save it, on the other, greater numbers of vot- died in the effort to turn the tide of war. ers are being seduced by calls for isolationism. Besides What no one could predict in 1944 was that D-Day these “domestic” issues, the EU is also losing ground on would lead to the longest period of peace, stability and the geostrategic level. The United States’ military and prosperity that Europe has known. Nor could they ima- technological hegemony, the economic rise of China gine that the devotion to peace that was born in the and Russia’s hardball politics all contribute to a feeling flames of war would be in danger 70 years later - not that the EU is continually losing influence. Its political because of some new military threat but because of the West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the forces are fragmenting - as is the vision of a Union that carelessness of leaders who themselves never knew Netherlands had agreed to join in peace and put an end can keep improving the lives of its citizens. war. to endless war. The six former enemies were the nucle- The few surviving veterans of Normandy today can be After D-Day, the most important date on the Euro- us of today’s European Union with its 28 member proud of the part they played in what led to a great po- pean calendar is July 23, 1952, when the European Coal states. Another monumental year was 1989, when the litical, economic and social triumph. Will heads of state and Steel Community was established. One year earlier Soviet Bloc collapsed, leading to the accession of eight understand that the battle which began then has not - just six years after the end of World War II - France, former Soviet satellites to the EU in May 2004. ended? Huffington Post: Two Greek cave churches in the Top 20 of the world Though many of the world’s most impressive churches feature high ceilings and soaring spires, sometimes you have to go underground to find the real gems. Jesus called the apostle Peter, the rock on which “I will build my church,” but these churches are built inside the rock or carved into it. Cave churches and monasteries have been around since the beginning of the church, often as a way to seek out spiritual succor in a remote and solitary place.