THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece MAY 2017 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] DISCIPLINEOUR ARCHBISHOP’S IN THE VIEW HOME ORTHODOX AND HETERODOX PAGE 5/21 TURKISH VESSELS VIOLATE GREEK TERRITORIAL WATERS Greek Australians irrate over politician’s comment on FYROM name New tension between Athens and Ankara Greek Australians are angry over Liberal Party Hopes that tension between Athens and Ankara would MP Craig Kelly who made a statement about subside after the meeting between Prime Minister Alex- the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of is Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Macedonia (FYROM). Saturday (13/5) were dashed two days later after two PAGE 15/31 Turkish missile boats entered Greek territorial waters off the southeast Aegean island of Agathonisi. The vessels, which were taking part in a maritime exer- cise code-named Denizkurdu (Seawolf), stayed in Greek territorial waters for about 20 minutes. They were moni- tored by Hellenic Navy vessels before they left. Last month Agathonisi was described as a “Turkish island” by Turkey’s Minister of European Union Affairs Omer Celik. Nonetheless, before Monday’s incident, government officials had hailed the meeting between Tsipras and Er- dogan in Beijing on Saturday (13/5) as positive. Both men agreed on the need to find a way to rebuild call for the extradition of eight Turkish servicemen who confidence, even though the Turkish leader reiterated – fled to Greece after the coup attempt in the neighboring albeit less aggressively than on previous occasions – his country last year.

The Political Nature of the National Sports Games of the Colleges Modern Papacy: An Introduction Pope Francis remains the only pre-West- of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia phalian absolute monarch vested with sover- eignty, exercising authority within a legitimate state connected with but not dependent upon a small territorial enclave.

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With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Aus tralia, All Saints Grammar hosted in Belmore (NSW) the Na- tional Sports Game s of the se ven Colleges of the Greek Orthodo x Archdiocese of Aus tralia, from 3 t o 5 May. More than 300 students travelled from Perth (St Andrew’s College), Adelaide (St George College), Melbourne (St John’ s College and Oakleigh Grammar), and from other areas of Sydney (Colleges of St Spyridon and St Euphemia). The inaugural Doxology was special, as the pupils were honoured with the presence of the Evzones of the Greek Presidential Argithea Guard. Three exciting days followed, during which the students competed in team sports in a spirit of emulation, but also pro- moted their artistic skills, participating in the tribute organised for the sixtieth anniversary of the death of Nikos Kazantzakis. Unspoiled and sparsely populated, this lush As His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonia, poin ted out at the Closing Ceremon y of the Games, students from all over Aus- central Greek district boasts rustic and breath- tralia had the opportunity to confirm their common bonds of faith, values and language that connect the GreekPAGE Orthodox14/30 Col- taking beauty. leges of the Archdiocese. The next Games will be organised in Melbourne by St John’s College. PAGE 16/32 MAY 2017 2/18 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Why US presidents meet annually with only Greeks and Irish and what good it does

By ANDY MANATOS & MIKE MANATOS * our issues and us. Businessman and political insider cant dividends for our issues – enabling us to: (1) move Dennis Mehiel sees our meeting with the president as one White House to switch Germany and France’s ob- Why has every US president invited only the Greeks extraordinary political power appreciated by senators jection to Cyprus’s early EU accession and stop another and Irish to meet at the White House for each of the and members of Congress who realize it can potentially from pressing the EU to require a Turkish-agreed-to last 31 years, and what good does it do? The answer help them. This, coupled with our constant support of Cyprus settlement before accession; (2) move Assistant may surprise you. the key senators and members, gives us direct access to Secretary Dick Holbrooke to spend major American po- In a president’s first term, the value of this meeting is these leaders, not simply their staff. It motivates their litical capital demanding the Former Yugoslav Republic particularly significant as his administration’s new offi- connection and commitment to Hellenic and Orthodox of Macedonia (FYROM) remove threats to Macedonia cials jockey to impress. Quickly realizing the difficulty policies. from its constitution; and (3) with the Archons, move behind securing a place on the president’s schedule, The millions of dollars of work our office contributes, Turkey, through our government, to grant citizenship to even as White House staffers, they see this invitation to in close cooperation with the Church, to establish and our metropolitans, without which Ecumenical Patriar- Greek Americans as a designation of importance. Con- maintain this annual White House meeting, in addition chal succession could halt in the absence of qualified ci- sequently, doors of top Washington officials open for to events for senators and members, has paid signifi- tizenship. Behind-the-scenes Washington effectiveness is barely visible from Athens and Nicosia. Some years ago, Cyp- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia rus bypassed our relationships and spent $1.5 million a year on Washington’s top lobby/law firm. Sadly, they Missionary Committee discovered that large firms: (1) spend their top White  House and Congressional chits on their longest-term SHARE WITH AFRICA mega-clients and (2) do not contribute 1 to 5 million dollars in annual pro bono advocacy. In our absence, Fifth Annual Charity Dinner the half of Congress we made advocates for Cyprus vir- Pentecost Day 2017 tually disappeared and the State Department pressed the Annan Plan Greek Cypriots rejected. Why have US presidents met only with the Irish and The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is once again holding a major Greeks for the past 31 years? Owner of one of the world’s largest short-selling firms and historian Jim Cha- fund-raising Dinner in Sydney to assist our African brothers and sisters. nos notes: 70 percent of modern presidents trace their ancestry to Ireland, the second largest nationality in This year’s event will once again be held in the hall of St Spyridon Church, America. Political powerhouse Senator Teddy Kennedy established this meeting. Yet there has never been a Kingsford on Pentecost, June 4 at 5 pm. Greek-American president and Greeks account for one- half of 1 percent of Americans, ranking 32nd among US With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, all funds raised will diasporas. The answer involves Greek ingenuity, Orthodoxy and be distributed equally for missionary and humanitarian work across the philotimo – the love of honor. These uniquely Greek growing Orthodox Churches of: characteristics enabled our leaders to develop extreme- ly close relationships with America’s top officials. This 1. Kenya (an English-speaking country where there are already over a moves our deeply spiritual and intelligent Archbishop Demetrios to lead our national community to the White million Orthodox faithful, three Dioceses, and over 300 priests) House and make our case with presidents. And, it al- 2. The Democratic Republic of Congo (a French-speaking country that lows for the genius of Father Alex Karloutsos to lend his needs support for its new Orthodox University as a part of a vibrant magic behind the scenes. Our philotimo and Orthodoxy contribute to the uni- Church in Central Africa) versal admiration for our people across US locales, ac- 3. Sierra Leone (which has some of the greatest humanitarian needs cording to Michael Psaros, who runs the world’s leading following a devastating civil war just over a decade ago and more private equity firm focused on manufacturing and in- dustry – a feeling not unnoticed by members of Con- recently the Ebola virus devastation). gress, senators or the White House. Our annual Greek festivals at churches across the country, which are very Your attendance will in itself be a great message of support. popular with non-Greeks, keep Hellenism and Ortho- doxy’s profile positive and high. Members of our com- munity’s leading organizations, like AHEPA, AHI and The first prize of the raffle is a return trip to Greece! Cypriot groups, also help our image. Tickets are $70 per adult, $50 for pensioners and students, and $20 for Through the rapidly growing National Hellenic Society children under 12 years of age. that he founded and now chairs, Silicon Valley real es- tate titan George Marcus has discovered a way to re- verse the dilution of Hellenism in America. From Boston For Tickets contact your local Parish in the first instance or: to Los Angeles, NHS brings together our most successful Mrs Mary Stathos (Mob 0409 522 413) or Kyriacos Mavrolefteros (Mob 0425 Hellenes to celebrate and enjoy our heritage. 222 012). We owe much to a handful of our most generous Hel- lenes/Orthodox who match Father Karloutsos’s ulti- mate standard – “I am not impressed by how much mo- ney you have, but what you do with it.” Without the ex- emplars of philotimo highlighted above digging deep within their pockets, none of these accomplishments would be possible. They are following the charge of George P. Livanos, Andrew A. Athens and George Pa- raskeviades. Decades-long supporters of senators and members key to our efforts also include Nikos Mou- yiaris, Philip Christopher, John Catsimatidis, Angelo Tsa- kopoulos, Eleni Kounalakis and Alex and Dean Spanos, among others. * Andy Manatos is CE O and Mike Manatos president of Man- atos & Manatos, a government relations and public policy com- pany which deals also with Greek and Orthodox issues in Wash- ington. MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19

Cyprus can, so why can’t Greece?

By Alexis Papachelas - If Cyprus can fetch such prices, then how various opportunists can swoop in. Kathimerini, Athens much could a flat on Athens’s beautiful So why has Cyprus succeeded where southern coast fetch? Or the berths at Greece continues to fail? Because Cypri- Every visit to Cyprus is like a punch to the country’s marinas? And how many ots are practical-minded and their politi- the gut to me, because it reminds me of thousands of jobs would be created? cians can agree on the basics. Because it what Greece could be like if it was free of No, we prefer to consign the capital’s has a working state and every investor its hang-ups. coast to a camp/hellhole for refugees knows what lies ahead. And because Take education, for example. With the and migrants. As for our marinas, we just Cypriots wake up every morning to the consensus of the left, Cyprus established let municipalities, ministries and port au- Turkish flag across the Green Line, private universities, some of which are thority funds bicker over them so that spurring their self-preservation instinct. quite exemplary, resembling good Euro- pean and American institutions, and making significant strides. Today, thou- sands of Greeks are studying in Cyprus, along with young people from China, the Middle East and Russia. Cyprus’s private universities generate hundreds of jobs and boost the economy. Over the past 20 years, many major foreign universities have wanted to do something similar in Greece, but to no avail. A golden opportunity was lost when Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was prevented from amending Article 16 of the Constitution and now Greece is lit- tered with dozens of colleges of negligi- ble quality, with just a few shining excep- tions. As a result, Greeks pay thousands of euros a year to send their children abroad, even though we have the talent, manpower and geographical position to become a major private education hub in the broader region. Instead, we are con- sumed by our petty ways, continuing to support vested interests at universities. Another area of interest is attracting wealthy foreigners who want a residence permit for a European Union country and are ready to invest, mainly in real estate. Cyprus chose an easy and practical mod- el by which to achieve this and is now constructing buildings that will sell at more than 10,000 euros a square meter. Greece’s effort to this end has been lackluster and requires a ton of paper- work from the brave potential investors. Keep calm and enlist support

KATHIMERINI, Athens

Ankara appears to be taking Turkey’s provocative and revisionist position with regard to the Aegean to a whole new level – and Athens needs to be on its guard. What is required now is caution, preparation and determination from Greece as the country faces this risk- laden state of affairs. The international circumstances are complicated and the uncertainties are formidable. Turkey is in the midst of a deep struc- tural crisis. Because it is in such a deep structural crisis, its actions will be unpre- dictable. Relations between the Euro- pean Union and Ankara have been shak- en and Greece will need the strategic support of its partners. MAY 2017 4/20 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

where faith is seen, heard and experienced; • setting an example is vital - “parents need to ‘be’ and ‘do’ what they want their child to become”; and Letter • high quality relationships in the home are the key to successful faith transmission”(p. 12). Passing on Faith went on to note that adolescents parents. Less than a third of British parents wanted and young adults who experience or who have expe- from their children to hold the same religious beliefs when rienced close, affirming, and accepting relationships they are older. There is no reason to believe that the with both parents are more likely to identify with the situation throughout most of Australia is likely to be beliefs and practices of their parents. The security Maroubra much different. and stability of the parent-child relationship, includ- Passing on faith might be important for you or me ing the strength of the childhood attachment, in- but for most people it does not seem to be signifi- forms the stability of future religious beliefs. The style cant. They did not think it was even important to pass of parenting also makes a difference: Authoritative on beliefs about whether there is a God. parenting – where the exercise of discipline and con- As expected parents who were atheistic, agnostic trol is accompanied by warmth, nurture and respon- or indifferent were not concerned about spiritual nur- siveness – is more conducive to religious transmission turing. than authoritarian or permissive parenting. (p. 12). Maybe it is encouraging that just under three-fifths This report also comes with a gentle ‘spiritual health’ of parents who did “believe in a God” wanted their warning for parents: parental unity, as evidenced in children to share their beliefs. Regular church atten- marital stability and the sharing of beliefs and prac- ders (attending church at least monthly) were those tices, impacts on faith transmission (p. 13). most likely to want to pass on their beliefs (67%). An effective means of passing on beliefs and prac- The vast majority of Muslims (85%) thought that it tices is clearly in the hands of parents. We do this was important for children to hold their parent’s be- through our values, attitudes, beliefs and practices. liefs. My guess is that this would be about the same You probably did not need a survey in Britain or a UK for Orthodox parents. think tank to tell you that but it can still be a useful re- There is some good news in that report: minder! • two thirds (67%) of all parents said that they It does not answer the question, however, why would feel “confident” in having a conversation on some children in the same family and with similar up- the subject with their children. bringing are very religious, while others turn their You may not have heard of the organisation called • around the same proportion (69%) said they back on God. In response to a question from a moth- Theos. It is a “think tank” in the UK. A think tank is would feel “comfortable” in doing so. er in Australia, St Paisios answered that we need to group of experts who are organised to give advice or The problem is that we do not raise the topic with pray for our children – especially those that have provide new ideas on special issues. Theos focuses on our children. Only 40 per cent said they had a conver- strayed – and who knows, when one day they will see religion and society. sation with the aim of passing on their beliefs about the light and it all makes sense to them. I subscribe to it and in a report by Olwyn Mark in whether there is a God or Higher Power with their The report concludes that no child will enter ado- 2016, Theos looked at the topic of “Passing on Faith”. children lescence or adulthood unmoved by the all-embracing This topic is relevant to Orthodox parents who want Passing on Faith reinforced what many parents experiences that they gain in the home. These mem- their children to share the same faith. Of course, it might already know about the transmission of faith. ories and parental love are like time-bombs that will does not always work out the way one wants. The report considered the findings of previous stud- explode sooner or later in one’s life. Anyway, Theos asked a polling company to survey ies and concluded that: the attitudes of parents about the religious develop- • the foundations for faith are laid in childhood; The views expressed are those of the author and not neces- ment of children. I thought the results might also be • the role and responsibility of the family is central sarily those of the VEMA or St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theo- of interest to an Australian audience. in faith transmission; logical College. What did they find? • enduring adolescent and adult believers are large- Passing on faith was not a priority for most British ly the product of caring, supportive, stable homes, [email protected] Protecting Attica's wetlands Many are familiar with the Schinias marsh, Lake Vou- In Attica, the ecosystem has been majorly disturbed by liagmeni, and possibly even the Vourkari wetlands. But urban encroachment. Therefore, the need for their pro- Attica actually has 49 more wetlands, not counting tection at an institutional level is evermore imperative. known rivers, canals and streams. Most are in moder- “Some do have some sort of protection from the state. ate or bad condition due to anarchic urban planning, The Schinias-Marathon National Park is one example. and four have disappeared entirely. A study conducted Lake Vouliagmeni has been designated a natural monu- on the wetlands of Attica reveals the urgency with ment and the Pikrodafni stream an area of particular which they must be placed under institutional protec- environmental interest. Koumoundourou Lake is a wild- tion. life refuge and a perennial park zone. Five of Attica's A study and demarcation of the 53 wetlands that ex- wetlands are included in Natura 2000, a coordinated ist in the region of Attica (both mainland and islands) network of protected areas in the European Union. was conducted in 2016 by the National Biotope/Wet- Lake Vouliagmeni, the Vravronas, the Limanaki Thorik- land Center (EKBY). Among them, 20 are larger than 80 ou and Legrenon swamps, and the Schinias-Marathon acres and the 29 smallest have been drained, as have “The wetlands of Attica have shrunk particularly due National Park are among them. Their protection is vi- the Faliriko Delta, the Loutsa-Kalamion marsh, the to anarchic urban planning and development. They've tal,” explains Fitoka. coastal marsh of Avlaki and the coastal area near the also shrunk because of projects aimed at diverting wa- A law was enacted in 2011 that provides for the pro- power plant in Lavrio. Two of the lakes, Vouliagmeni ter,” says Eleni Fitoka, who is responsible for the EKBY tection of Attica wetlands through the scientific docu- and Koumoundourou, are considered wetland ecosys- natural habitats census. mentation of their boundaries and the environmental tems. Three – Oropos, Siftas Tsizinias and Alkis Porou – Climate change is expected to cause further damage studies conducted on them. “According to the law, doc- are lagoons. Five are inland swamps that occur season- to the wetlands over the coming decades. “More fre- umentation of the wetlands must be taken into account ally, seven are urban swamps and nine are river deltas. quent and prolonged periods of drought resulting from by state and local administration when decisions are Twenty are coastal swamps. climate change are adding to the damage caused by hu- made that may directly or indirectly impact wetland ar- Five new wetlands that were not mentioned in the man development. Many wetland systems are at risk of eas,” says Fitoka. existing records of state and nongovernment agencies disappearing or shrinking further if the pressures they Documenting Attica's wetlands became part of the that monitor them were discovered during this opera- face aren't alleviated. Immediate action must be taken framework of the project, “increasing knowledge and tion. They are the Tobazi, Aghia Sotiria and Vidi Trizinias to protect them,” Fitoka urges. sensitivity with regard to the reconstruction and reha- coastal wetlands and the Alkis Porou lagoon in Galata, Flawless protection bilitation of Attica wetlands.” The project was funded as well as the mouth of the Groman stream in the area by European Economic Area (EEA) grants as well as the of Trizinias. Wetlands are sensitive to changes in the ecosystem. Greek Public Investments program. MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/21 Our Primate’s View ORTHODOX AND HETERODOX (A) When the Greeks became aware of the incomparable meaning of the term “ethos” and whoever forgets this, value of the cultural treasures, with respect to other whether willingly or unwillingly, is not only a hypocrite peoples, they felt the need to draw a line of distinction but also a monophysitic adorer of the flesh! between “Greeks” and “barbarians” in order for each to know his identity. The 20th century, which was rightly called “the centu- ry of the Church”, because today for the first time the di- In the same way, the Orthodox who recognises that vided Christians sought on a world-basis to meet and Orthodoxy is the unbroken continuation of the undivid- cooperate in order in this way to know better one an- ed Church of Christ, is obliged to search always with other and be united, constituted indeed a great provo- clarity for the line of demarcation between orthodox cation for the conscience of each faithful. And a chal- and heterodox. And the anxiety in this case must be lenge always has two sides: it is opportunity for achieve- much deeper and more acute since it is not merely a ment or cause for yet another failure. In the 20th centu- matter of cultural initiative or national glory, but of ry, with the assistance also of technology, there are not By ARCHBISHOP eternal life and salvation. always clear lines of demarcation separating Orthodox STYLIANOS from non-Orthodox. Ideas, theories and practices, sys- OF AUSTRALIA The crucial question, however, is how this line is tems and methods circulate like fashion without hin- recognised. What are its features? drance. And they not only circulate but at times even knock in annoying manner at your very door uninvitedly Of course in the case of the Greeks, the first con- in order to teach, exercising the well-known “brain- frontation of the problem was somewhat simplistic: washing”. It is not surprising then that we see today Or- they said that “every non-Greek is a barbarian” , and thodox - not only lay persons but also Bishops - behav- they felt in this way that they had for all time defined ing unfortunately as non-Orthodox. And it is not a rare the limits of the cultural map of the world! Yet the ques- phenomenon to meet today non-Orthodox reading sys- tion remained unanswered. For on the one hand they tematically the Philokalia with the humility and obedi- said that whoever is not Greek is a barbarian, but they ence of an Orthodox faithful! did not define how one is Greek and who is Greek! In a further, more modest and spiritual confrontation of the Our times, therefore, are extremely dangerous and issue, it was ascertained that it was not sufficient to extremely interesting! In such crucial times, full of dan- state where and from whom one was born in order to gers yet also full of possibilities, the moral command be Greek, but one needed to prove this with quality of that must constantly kindle our mind and conscience character. For such an assessment it was not possible to must be none other than “let us stand aright” . Never bear in mind as a criterion the biological origin, but the perhaps has this command been so timely for the faith- moral upbringing and cultural education. This so just ful, as individuals or as ecclesiastical communion, as to- and at the same time realistic criterion was concisely day. Let us, then, stand aright. This means: let us stand formulated by Isocrates: “Greeks are those who share steadily and without moving. And this again means: let our own education”. us stand bravely, honestly, sincerely, modestly, in a word let us stand reverently. For not only at each day In about the same way, we also as Christians could say and each hour, but even at each moment of the day, that Orthodox are not those who were born of Ortho- “the holy things for the holy” are presented to the con- dox or who simply were baptised Orthodox, but those science of the faithful, just as at every moment these who live according to the Orthodox mind and embody holy things run the risk of being betrayed as “pearls be- the Orthodox ethos . And when we say “ethos”, we fore the swine”. should not restrict it to the “flesh” but to the entire be- haviour, since man is not flesh alone but also a psycho- (Cont’d) pneumatic entity. This is why his moral and spiritual weaknesses and shortcomings are not only related to Source: “Voice of Orthodoxy, his physical life. This was from the beginning the real November 1986 Dangerous times in the Aegean and Cyprus By Alexis Papachelas, Kathimerini, Athens expanding. Currently, Turkey considers significant parts diplomats are surprised that this has not yet led to a of the Aegean to be gray zones. This includes islands “hot incident.” The concept of gray zones (the claim that the sover- that have been inhabited for decades. While this is going on, Turkey is trying to asphyxiate eignty of a number of islands and islets in the Aegean is It is questioning Greek sovereignty through its ac- Kastellorizo in order to deny Greece’s claim to a conti- undetermined) was a novel idea that Turkey came up tions, not just its words, by the frequent presence of nental shelf that borders Cyprus’s. with 20 years ago. naval vessels in Greek waters and overflights by fighter A dangerous situation is also playing out in Cyprus. At some point, Ankara reached the point of including jets. Over the last few months, it has being doing this The Turks are trying to impose the concept of gray the Greek island of Gavdos in its gray zones list. more systematically and openly. zones there as well. Whenever Athens made an official request regarding Greece’s approach has also changed. The doctrine July (when a new round of drilling for hydrocarbons is the islands or rocky outcrops that Turkey had on its list, that existed in the wake of the Imia crisis in 1996, when due to begin off Cyprus) promises to be a difficult the answer was always very vague: “Anything that is the two countries almost went to war, was based month. not clearly included the bilateral agreements that set around not building up tension following various inci- Ankara will attempt before then to intimidate the out Greece’s borders with other countries.” dents and maintaining a low profile. companies that plan to start drilling or try to obstruct At first, many people thought this was a bargaining Apart from the government of Costas Simitis, this pol- them if they are not scared off by threats. chip that Ankara would trade as part of a grand bargain. icy was also followed by his successor as prime minister, The international community can see the danger and They were wrong. Costas Karamanlis, and others. will make another, possibly final, effort to solve the The failure to settle differences between Greece and The current government, however, is following a dif- Cyprus issue. Turkey gave Ankara the opportunity to add more issues ferent tactic, with visits by officials to islands that are in Things are going to get serious. And all this will be tak- to the agenda. Turkey’s sights. Often, the temperature rises, and ing place within an uncertain and unpredictable inter- Over time, these have become permanent and ever- sometimes it reaches dangerous levels. Experienced national environment. MAY 2017 6/22 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

The Political Nature of the Modern Papacy: An Introduction

By Father Dimitri Tsakas *

Pope Francis (pictured) remains the only pre-West- phalian absolute monarch vested with sovereignty, ex- ercising authority within a legitimate state connected with but not dependent upon a small territorial enclave. The Holy See’s temporal and spiritual character imbues it with State sovereignty and Transnational Soft Power. No other global actor reflects these peculiarities. The Holy See is simultaneously State actor and International Society, active within Nation State frameworks and con- currently attempting to transcending them.

The Catholic Church is highly centralised, unified, and fiercely independent. It is an expansive entity with cul- tural pluralism and normative influence in international relations. Substantial as a “norm entrepreneur” skilled in the art of adaptation, the Holy See remains anchored in robust philosophy, its own theology, and with politi- cal acumen acquired and nurtured over 2000 years. Drawing upon this deep well it is attentive to the prag- matics of statecraft while adhering to a unique cosmo- politan vision.

Intellectually and pragmatically equipped to act as “Hyper-Power”, the Holy See proposes an alternative ly prominent in world affairs, it remains more important nessed the Holy See’s role in world affairs expand. John- global order. This remains premised upon a delicate to comprehend this key international actor. Paul II maybe credited with this development. At the balance between Vatican diplomacy, its universal and time of his election in 1978, the Holy See enjoyed diplo- eschatological mission. As religion becomes increasing- Recent history, despite secularist advances, has wit- matic relations with 85 states. Upon his passing, that figure expanded to 174. Among those states were Mar- garet Thatcher’s Britain, Ronald Reagan’s America and Mikhail Gorbachev’s Soviet Union. Issue 3 “To sin and not The Holy See now boasts diplomatic relations with repent is blasphemy 180 states, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia being among the few without formal links, and an agreement with China against the Lord”, immanent. Recent years witness an amplification of Anony mou s Holy See multilateral diplomacy. It participates in 16 in- ter-governmental bodies, including, the African Union Portion 3.1 On the Seven Basic Crimes and the Organisation of American States. By its own According to Saint Antony we must eat with choice, it is a permanent “observer” in the United Na- The Seven Basic Crimes are the basis for all thanksgiving, decorum, and continence. tions with comprehensive rights. other ethical crimes. Although you might have Thanksgiving must be given to the Lord by heard of the Seven Deadly Sins (gluttony, lust, saying a meal-time prayer or doing the sign of An ability to function simultaneously as spiritual and avarice, wrath, pride, envy, sloth), or the Eight the cross on ourselves. Decorum must be temporal authority, allows the Holy See unparalleled Capital Vices (gluttony, lust, avarice, wrath, observed in the way we eat and our conduct at degrees of flexibility. A quantifiable account of its influ- sorrow, lethargy, vanity, pride), the Seven the table. And continence is kept by eating and ence remains illusive. Almost 20% of the global popula- tion claims Catholicism as its faith, and a veritable force Basic Crimes are a slight variation on these drinking only the right portion for our strength of clerics, nuns, and lay workers find themselves the two lists. The Seven Basic Crimes are: of body. Those who labor heavily or are ill frontline of multiple contexts, feeding back to a diplo- Gluttony, lust, greed, vanity, pride, envy, and naturally must receive the relevant portion of matic corps which remains the oldest in the world. Ac- rudeness. These Seven Basic Crimes tempt a food. cordingly, they represent the Church in these contexts. person frequently and lead them to other crimes such as lying, reviling, blasphemy, Napoleon’s conquests and later, Garibaldi’s unifica- stealing, and others. Use these lists, especially Portion 3.3 On Healthy eating tion of Italy, greatly reduced temporal Papal power. Un- the Seven Basic Crimes, to mirror your own intendedly however, these event suns hackled the Holy ethical condition. Once we identify our errors it The rule or typikon for a Christian is to eat See from territorial and military concerns and ambi- is only natural to seek to correct them through three balanced meals per day. Our doctor or tions. In conjunction with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, repentance, confession, and a firm resolution. nutritionist will advise us on our requirements this afforded fresh opportunity and new trajectories for according to our health and our bodily strength. the Holy See. Following WWII, it enjoyed a rapid growth Portion 3.2 On Gluttony Continence is the key to our intake of food, and of influence. Vatican II delivered a contemporary global our fasting is determined by our Confessor vision and fueled the growth of multilateral relations. We will begin our analysis of the Seven Basic Priest. Crimes with the crime of gluttony. Our first Pre-dating every modern nation state, the Holy See resolution therefore must be to control our draws from a deep well of institutional memory, engag- stomach and to restrain our body, not only ing in diplomacy embedded within alternate goals and through fasting, but also through labors, concepts of time. This, coupled with a nevolution of- spiritual reading, fear of hell, and yearning for Catholic social teaching during and since Vatican II, has the kingdom of heaven. nurtured a cosmopolitan vision for International Rela- There are three types of gluttony according tions to this day. to Saint John Cassian. The first is to eat at irregular hours. The second is to constantly * Father Dimitri Tsakas is Archepiscopal Vicar for Queensland want to fill the stomach with any food available. of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and also serves as Proistamenos at the Church of St George, Brisbane. He is current- And the third is the desire for refined food. ly a PhD Candidate in the area of Global Relations and the Vati- can MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/23

Milos island prepares a home for much-desired return of Aphrodite

A little over two years ago, the mayor the island there was no business transac- of the island of Milos, Gerasimos tion, but there was an act of war. Damoulakis, visited the Louvre Museum “The statue was taken by a French in Paris to see the Venus de Milo – the naval officer and loaded onto a French Aphrodite of Milos – up close. But upon warship. At that time, we were in a peri- entering, rather than asking for a ticket, od of war,” says Damoulakis. He has al- he said: “I am the mayor of Milos. I do ready set up a bidding committee, which not accept that I should have to pay for a has taken care of the request to collect a ticket as I came to see one and only one million signatures so that the matter can exhibit, the Aphrodite of Milos, which be taken up in the European Parliament. belongs to my island.” “Some on Milos thought I was joking, but After they’d received this sudden re- I always meant what I said. Work has al- quest, the museum’s operators held an ready begun on the restoration of an old impromptu meeting and decided to girls’ school in Plaka, the capital of the is- agree and invite the mayor and his en- land, where the Aphrodite’s permanent tourage to enter for free. The doors of home will be.” the museum opened and the Greek mis- The sculpture, which symbolizes fe- sion headed to the big hall which houses male beauty and femininity, is carved out the famous statue. They sat for a while of Parian marble. It is 2.02 meters tall to look at it in awe and then left with the and weighs 900 kilos. It dates back to promise that one day they would not around 100 BC. It was unearthed by a have to undertake such a long journey to farmer named Giorgos Kentrotas in admire it. 1820. The Aphrodite was in two pieces Two-and-a-half years later, the Milos and her hands were missing. mayor’s efforts to have the marble sculp- On March 1, 1821, the French ambas- ture returned to the island have intensi- sador Charles Francois de Riffardeau, fied. “The issue has tortured me for 15 Marquis de Reviere, gave the statue to years, but now the time is ripe. We have King Louis XVIII as a gift to be displayed now a documented legal position that in the Louvre, where it remains to this states when the statue was taken from day.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia - Parish of St Stylianos Gymea St Stylianos Annual Dance Saturday, 17th June 2017 Celebrating Family

Doltone House 223 Belgrave Esplanade, Sylvania Waters

6.30pm -11.30pm

Adults - $100

Children - $40(12 yrs & under)

Come & enjoy a family night out with music and dancing. ;QTMV\I]K\QWV:IІMLZI_

All tickets pre-paid. Tickets available at Church from Sunday 14.5.17 or book online by visiting our website at www.saintstylianos.org.au contact: Fr Con 0418 511 212 or email: [email protected]

Proceeds to go to the proposed St Stylianos Childcare Centre MAY 2017 8/24 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Greek, Turkish Cypriots build trust through basketball

With Cyprus reunification talks once again stuck in the doldrums, a basketball initiative that draws young players from the island’s Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides provides a welcome glimmer of hope. The PeacePlayers, one of a number of offshoots of an international group that uses sport to build trust in di- vided communities, has ballooned since it was set up in 2006. It now has more than 250 players and 12 teams that play all over the island, including in Nicosia, on a court at the Ledra Palace hotel in the United Nations-con- trolled no-man’s-land separating the Greek and Turkish sides of the divided capital. “PeacePlayers is the bridge where we are building our relationships,” Serife Ertay, one of the group’s Turkish- Cypriot players, said. PeacePlayers is about to add more coaches and will be able to take in more players following a donation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Devel- opment (EBRD), which is holding its annual meeting this year in Nicosia. The bank had hoped to hold its meeting with reunification clearly in sight. The reunification talks are focused on bringing the is- land, split along ethnic lines since 1974, under a federal umbrella of two semi-autonomous zones. But they have lost some momentum since the start of the year, caus- ing frustration for diplomats who had seen the chances of a deal as the best in decades. Harris Georgiades, finance minister of the Greek Cypriot-led government that represents Cyprus in the EU, who was watching the PeacePlayers practice, would not comment on the reunification process when asked by Reuters. Instead he said both the PeacePlayers group and the frequented by Hollywood stars. the basketball games are not about politics or even, pri- EBRD’s decision to hold its meeting on the island were It was the venue of talks between the then-British marily, about the sport but about making new friends. of symbolic importance for Cyprus. colonial administration and Greek Cypriots seeking in- “It gives us so many opportunities that other things “It is an opportunity for us to portray Cyprus as a safe, dependence in 1955, it became a sanctuary for strand- cannot give us,” said Nicos Mashias, one of the Greek stable destination,” Georgiades said. ed tourists during a Turkish invasion in 1974 that fol- Cypriot PeacePlayers. The Ledra Palace hotel backdrop to the basketball lowed a brief Greek-inspired coup, and has also been Ertay added: “I have made so many friends from the practice has rich historic associations in Cyprus. These used as a prisoner-of-war exchange point. south.” days it is used by British troops, but in its heyday was For the teenagers taking part in practice, however, [Reuters] Australia’s Isaiah Firebrace ninth as Eurovision 2017 is crashed by streaker

Australia has come ninth in Eurovision but some claimed a mooning reveller with an Australian flag hampered Isaiah Firebrace’s chance at victory. Portugal won the glitzy global singing competi- tion while Australia’s 17-year-old entrant was in fourth place after the jury vote but dropped to ninth after the viewer votes were collated. Australian singer Isaiah Some blamed the slip on a streaker who stormed Firebrace performs the stage draped in an Australian flag and dropped Don’t Come Easy, for his pants during a performance by Ukraine’s 2016 which he was awarded a Eurovision winner, Jamala. top-10 finish, in the final “I bet it will effect the votes in the grandfinal too. of the Eurovision Song We will have to wait and see. It’s really unfair on Contest in Kiev. Isaiah someone would do that,” tweeter Kylie Haj- du wrote, reflecting the feelings of many during the broadcast on Sunday morning (14/5) in Australia. It was later reported by SBS and ABC that the man was not an Australian but a Ukrainian “prankster”. Greece has come 19th and Cyprus 21st in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/25

Kavala, the lady of east Macedonia

By Margarita Pournara, Kathimerini, Athens

Kavala’s location is ideal, looking out to the island of Thassos and close to Thessaloniki, Drama and Serres. For more adventurous travelers, Istanbul is just a four- hour drive away. If you look for the city on a map, you’ll see it’s in the heart of northern Greece, in an ideal spot for excursions around the region. Kavala has many of its own attractions, easily notice- able upon arrival. The city is built on a hill that juts out into the sea and even has its own castle. It also has Ot- toman monuments and an aqueduct that was built dur- ing the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century (locals call it the “arch”), as well as many old mansions once owned by rich tobacco merchants inside its densely built urban centre. The people of Kavala are themselves an attraction. The city has a population of around 70,000, many of whom are descendants of refugees uprooted in the 1923 population exchange with Turkey. Some work to maintain memorials and monuments honoring the his- tory of their ancestors in Asia Minor and eastern Thrace. Kavaliotes are mild-mannered, welcoming and friendly. Unfortunately, since World War II, the Jewish community has disappeared. Unlike the pre-war Jewish communities in the rest of Greece, who were Sephardic or Romaniote, most here were Ashkenazi. It is said that they were brought by Suleiman the Magnificent from restoration. Organised tours are open to all, including Philip II of Macedon gave an existing small town his Hungary. The last Jew in Kavala, a Holocaust survivor non-guests. name, but what’s most interesting is that it was upon named Sabi Tsimino, was a tobacco trader and died a Nearby is the former home of Mohammed Ali, the this very ground that an important battle was fought in few years ago. Kavala native who founded the last dynasty of Egypt the year 42 BC, from which Octavius emerged victorious Kavala’s Ottoman past is quite visible. The castle, and sent money for the construction of the Imaret in his and changed the area’s fate. which is at the tip of the peninsula of the Virgin Mary hometown. His house is now the headquarters of the It has a well-preserved theatre, a market and other and affords panoramic views, is worth a visit. There Mohammed Ali Research Center for the study of secular fragments of ancient structures. On the same site, a you’ll see the remains of a Byzantine fortification, which Ottoman culture and often hosts exhibitions. century after the aforementioned great battle, the has been well preserved. On the ascent to the entrance It would be a shame for one to leave Kavala without Apostle Paul founded the first Christian church to be of the castle is the Halil Bey Mosque. paying a visit to Archaeological Site of Philippi. There erected on European soil. Some of the earliest Christian The most important Ottoman monument in Kavala is you can see artifacts that shed light on the Hellenistic, developments can be seen among the archaeological the Imaret, which operated as a seminary and work- Roman, Byzantine and Paleochristian eras, while it also site. house. Since the early 2000s, it has been transformed hosts the Philippi Festival every summer. It is roughly a Nearby is the shrine of Aghia Lydia, where Saint Paul into a luxury hotel, having undergone an incredible 15-minute drive from the center of Kavala. baptized the first Christian. Loutra Pozar attracts more than 1 million visitors

Loutra Pozar is a world-famous thermal spa which receives more than one million visitors every year, the mayor of Almopia, northern Greece, Dimitris Binos, said in an interview with the Athens Macedonian News Agency’s radio station Praktoreio 104.9 FM. Vogue magazine in a recent article recom- mended Pozar as an alternative Greek destina- tion. “A far cry from the traffic of Athens and the high season island tourism, Northern Greece is noteworthy year-round for its diverse land- scapes, ancient history, and innumerable activ- ities both hedonistic and adventurous. The continuous flux of immigrants from East- ern Europe and the Middle East into the towns and villages has resulted in a melting pot of culture and cuisines, while nature provides its own spectacle from East to West,” Vogue said and suggested three destinations, including Loutra Pozar. “Loutra Pozar are among the 28 thermal springs belonging to the European network of historic spa resorts in Europe, with excellent natural beauty, offering the visitor peace and relaxation all year round,” Binos noted. MAY 2017 10/26 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

The Man Born Blind

By Guy Freeland* Yes, I know, I grovel in remorse, you haven’t had a peep from me since Christmas 2014. However, I can assure my erstwhile readers that rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. The spirit of Pascha has now moved me to resume my (irregular) articles for the Ve- ma. The Blind ManReceivesHis Sight Let me share with you some ruminations on the Sixth Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Man Born Blind. As with all the Sundays of Pascha (apart from the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers) the Liturgy Gospel is from John, in this case John 9:1-38. The Gospel tells how Christ cures a man who was born blind by anointing his eyes with clay made by spitting on the ground and mixing the earth with spittle. Christ orders the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. He does so and receives his sight. The Pharisees doubt that the man was born blind but are assured by his parents that he was. They then argue that Christ could not have been responsible for the cure as He had broken the Law by kneading the clay and healing the man on the Sabbath, thus committing sin. God does not listen to sinners. The man responds by saying that if Jesus were not from God He could not have performed the miracle. The Pharisees then excom- municate the man. The gist of the Evangelist’s message is that the man not only receives his physical sight but also his spiritual, en- abling him to confess his belief in Christ. As Christ made ‘The Man Born Blind’, Codex Egberti (980 – 995), Trier, Photo: Wikipedia (public domain). the blind man spiritually whole so He can cure our spir- itual blindness and drive out our darkness, filling our the works of God to be manifested.” earliest books of the New Testament by around three souls, minds and bodies with His divine light. decades. The New Testament writers, and above all the Christ anoints the man’s eyes with earth moistened Evangelist John, frequently proclaim the Gospel of the The blind man believes and receives his physical sight, with spittle and orders him to wash the clay off in the Lord through the lens of the liturgy, notably of course the Pharisees, who have their physical sight, do not be- Pool of Siloam.The first point to be noted is that spittle Baptism and the Eucharist. lieve and become spiritually blind. In the verse (39) does have curative powers; that’s why we “lick our which follows the reading, Christ declares that He wounds” (better still let Fido do the licking) when we Let us now turn to the question as to why John 9 is read “came into the world, that those who do not see may are injured. Mud has a rejuvenating effect on the skin, on a Sunday of Pascha. The answer is that the Paschal see, and those who see may become blind.” That’s it in as the beauty industry assures us with its mud packs Vigil (now usually, most improperly, celebrated early on a nutshell. and baths. And water, by virtue of minerals suspended Holy Saturday morning) was the only time that bap- in it, often has curative properties. The waters of many tisms were normally performed in the early Church. Reading John 9:1-38 holy wells across Christendom are said to alleviate or During the period that we know as Great Lent and Holy cure eye diseases. So, there is a message here that in Week the catechumens were prepared for their initia- At first glance, this long Gospel reading seems, as with turning to faith to cure our ills (which we should do) we tion (comprising Baptism, Chrismation and first Com- other passages in John (the reading for Pentecost Sun- needn’t reject the assistance of medicine. munion). During the ensuing seven weeks, from Easter day, John 7:37-52; 8:12, is a case in point), to contain a Sunday through Pentecost, they were instructed in the few significant verses into which are interpolated a lot There is, however, a deeper meaning to Christ’s actions. meaning of the Mysteries they had passed through. The of seemingly trivial dialogue and toing and froing: Is it The clay and spittle mix recalls God’s creation of Adam readings of the Sundays of the Paschal season thus re- really the man born blind or just someone who looks in Genesis (2:6-7) from moistened earth. The blind man flect the rites of Christian Initiation and form the basis like him? What do his parents have to say? Does the doesn’t just receive his sight but he is enlightened and for what are called “mystagogical” homilies (a number man know where Jesus is now? But nothing in John is made whole; in short, he is recreatedby Christ, born survive from the fourth century). ever trivial. Every passage of the Gospel is like an onion anew. In the light of this association, deeper meanings from which one can peel off skin after skin of meaning. of the water are revealed. Water is used in John as a The reason why Christian Initiation (“The Mysteries”) Well, I am not about to reduce this onion to a pile of symbol of the Spirit (7:37-39, read at Pentecost). Christ was administered at the Paschal Vigil was because the skins but we do need to do a bit of stripping. is the spiritual water of life and the blind man is recre- photizomeni (those about to be enlightened) pass ated by water and the Spirit. In other words, he has re- through the Lord’s Passover by means of sacramental The disciples ask Christ whether it was the blind man or ceived the fruits of Baptism. Christ’s miracle is thus a signs; they aresigned with the sign of the Cross, buried his parents who had sinned that he was born blind. This type (foreshadowing) of the Church’s sacrament of Bap- with Christ in the waters of the font and raised up with follows Jewish belief that such afflictions are caused by tism. Christ. They are born again/re-created and “put on sin. Jesus replies that it was neither the man nor his par- Christ”. They are then anointed with the Pentecostal ents (curiously, for the man himself to have sinned he The reason the man is sent to wash in the Pool of sign of Chrismation, the seal of the Holy Spirit, and would have had to have done the sinning in the womb) Siloam is because the reading is set within the context share for the first time in the consecrated bread and who had sinned, but rather he was born blind “that the of Christ’s presence at the Jewish feast of Tabernacles. wine of the Eucharist. works of God might be made manifest in him (v.3).” The Oxford Annotated Bible notes in reference to John 7:37 (read at Pentecost): “For seven days water was On our Sunday, the underlying baptismal meaning of Now, this might sound as if the man was born blind in carried in a golden pitcher from the Pool of Siloam to the miracle meshes with the reading from the Acts of order that Christ could come along and cure him. This is the temple as a reminder of the water from the rock in the Apostles (Acts 16:16-34). This tells of one of the not what it means. Scholars have pointed out that in the desert (Numbers 20:2-13), and as a symbol of hope three incidents, recorded in Acts, of Apostles being Aramaic (the language Jesus would have used) no for the coming Messianic deliverance (Isaiah 12:3). Je- miraculously released from their chains of imprison- causal inference would have been conveyed. What Je- sus is the true water of life, who turns the symbol into ment, in this case Paul and Silas at Philippi. All three sus is saying is something like: “Sin has nothing to do reality (Isaiah 43:3;55:1).” passages are read during the Paschal season and the with this man’s blindness” (note Christ is not saying that reason is that these narratives are antitypes reflecting sin is never a cause of disability or sickness) “but, on the John’s baptismal reading of the miracle is not surprising other hand, his blindness does offer the opportunity for when we appreciate that Christian liturgy predates the MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/27

Cont. from previous page condition which entertained me with the most amazing dling amulets which supposedly draw the beams of the firework displays, star-bursts and all, within the eye.) evil eye into the eye they display, thus protecting the the release of the prisoners at the Lord’s mystical De- eyes of the wearer. Equally, land, boats, houses etc are scent into Hades, a type also of our release from the In fact, Christ goes further than this in Matthew 6;22- believed to be protected by such talismans from the evil shackles of sin effected through baptism. 23a, saying: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your glance of the envious eye. eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if Light, Sight and the Evil Eye your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of The concept of the evil eye of course depends on a cen- darkness.” Now, apart from the fact that Christ under- trifugal theory of vision. In the New Testament concep- The words Jesus uttered as he kneaded the clay were: stands darkness as a contrary nature to light, not just an tion, as we have noted, eyes can be full of darkness or “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world absence of illumination, one needs to note that light (as full of light; they can be imbued with in-sight, purity and (v.5).” By imparting His light to the man born blind Jesus opposed to external illumination) equates with “Spirit”. righteousness or with ignorance, impurity and envy. In gives him both the gift of sightand spiritual enlighten- (And Spirit also equates with fire, as with the tongues of fact, the evil eye was above all the envious eye. The ment. To make sense of this, one needs to understand fire which descended on the Apostles at Pentecost; not concept goes further in maintaining that the envious that there are basically two kinds of theory of sight, the destructive Aristotelian element fire, but the cre- eye can inflict actual harm on the people, animals, centrifugal (or extromission) and centripetal (or intro- ative fire that the Stoics referred to as theos.) crops etc on which it is cast. mission). Today, we adhere to the centripetal view that the eyes receive rays of light reflected from the sur- So the eye takes on enormous importance as the fount There is a virtual consensus of the Fathers of the Church rounding world. In the time of Christ centrifugal theo- of light/Spirit for the whole body; indeed, it might not that the envious eye could not possibly alter the course ries predominated and are reflected in the New Testa- be going too far to say, under this conception, that the of nature and inflict actual harm. However, there was ment. eye is the seat of the soul/spiritual intellect. Wow! also a belief held by some Fathers, such as St Basil, that the devil or demons could inflict harm by capturing the Centrifugal theories have beams of light going from the But which part of the eye was it that was thought to be emissions of the eyes of individuals possessed by envy, eye to the surrounding world. The outgoing rays then the locus of perception (the bit that did the work rather and hence were able to inflict actual harm. send back information concerning the objects on which than the retina)? The answer is what is called in the Old the eye is focussed. It is rather like a blind man using a Testament “the apple of the eye” (actually, “apple” The Bible and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, stick to feel the surface of objects. seems to be a mistranslation from the Hebrew and seethe with scientific beliefs of the Ancient World “apricot” has been suggested as more likely). Dictionar- which today we can but dismiss. This certainly does not There were different views as to what it was with which ies invariably define the term as “the pupil of the eye”. mean that such texts should be rejected. There are pas- the rays were making contact, but most commonly it But the pupil is simply the hole in the iris through which sages which we should reinterpret in terms of modern was believed that objects exuded a sort of film, much light passes. The apple of the eye was thought to be a science and medicine but many others where we like a mirage or a colour slide. The earliest known theo- solid black ball in the centre of the eye onto which im- should simply interpret the text metaphorically. It is the ry of sight, that of Empedocles, was a centrifugal theo- ages were reflected; we see as in a mirror, St Paul ob- underlying spiritual/theological meaning that matters. ry. Perhaps the major problem confronting him was served. how to explain why we cannot see in the dark. Unfortu- How we understand the apparent literal meaning of a nately, the work in which Empedocles confronted this The apple of one’s eye was the most precious part of a Scriptural text changes (and should change) as our issue is missing. Nevertheless, one might surmise that person. The common English expression said of a loved background scientific and other knowledge develops he would have argued that natural or artificial light one, “You are the apple of my eye”, certainly means, over time. This is something the Fathers of the Church shining on an object was necessary in order for it to “You are the most precious thing in the world to me”; well understood. They had recourse to the scientific emit a film with which the visual rays could make con- but I think it originally also meant, “It is the image of theory of their time but almost invariably handled it tact. you reflected in the apple of my eye that is the most tentatively, without committing themselves to its truth. precious thing to me.” Be that as it may, it was thought Plato held that the eyes emitted a kind of fire which in- of not only as the organ of seeing and perception but al- teracted with something of the sort emitted by the ob- so of apperception, of spiritual apprehension. ject viewed. This notion of a fire within the eyes seems *Guy Freeland is a member of the Faculty of St Andrew’s Greek to be reflected in the New Testament view that light is Yes, yes, I can hear you saying: “What about the evil Orthodox Theological College, Sydney. A collection of his Vema contained within the eyes. (This is not a silly notion; for eye?” Belief in the evil eye is certainly alive and well in articles, Windows to Orthodoxy, is available from the Archdioce- example, I have twice suffered from a dangerous eye Eastern parts judging by the number of hawkers ped- san Bookshop. Bank of Sydney: $62,000 donated to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

During a visit of the JDRF CEO Mike Wilson to Bank of Sydney Head office, Miltos Michaelas CEO of Bank of Sydney presented a cheque donation of $62 0000 being the net proceeds from the Bank’s 1st annual charity dinner. Mr Michaelas said: “The Bank has a rich history of charity work and as part of our corporate social respon- sibility and our vision to give back to the community we aim to support Australian charities in any way possible.” Mr Wilson thanked Mr Michaelas and the Bank of Sydney for such a successful and well organised event with an outstanding result and he complemented the community engagement and community support he ex- perienced at the dinner. 12/28 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA MAY 2017

Mayor of the Gold coast, Cr. Tom Tate amongst others reading the Resurrection Gospel in Mayor Tate and his family together with Vice President of St. Anna, James Nides, attending English at the Vespers of Love Holy Week at the Gold Coast the Vespers of Love

Holy Week at St Anna (Gold Coast) was Gospel was read in various languages, commemorated with a plethora of faith- Greek, Romanian, Serbian, Arabic, Latin ful from across Australia. The greatest and German. The Gospel was read in attendance in the local Church’s history English by the Mayor of the Gold Coast, was at the Lamentation service on Friday Cr. Tom Tate, a faithful Christian. night, followed by the Resurrection serv- The festivities then continued over in- ice at midnight on Saturday. to the Parish hall where approximately Commemorations continued on Sun- 300 people shared in the Paschal lunch- day morning with the vespers of Love. eon with Lambs on the spit and a tradi- During the Vespers, as is tradition, the tional program of dancing.

Father Romanos, parish priest, blessing the Paschal lambs before the lunch Get your Santorini dream house with Santopoly

Along with their bottle of white Assyr- tiko wine, a jar of split-pea dip (fava) and Mayor, Cr. Tom Tate, with Parish Priest, Fr Romanos at the Paschal lunch photographs of blue skies and sparkling white houses, the thousands who visit the Aegean island of Santorini every year Christian Dior, Gucci, Ted Baker can now leave with another souvenir of their holidays: Santopoly, an ingenious Katerina + Kyriacos Mavrolefteros board game created by a young Greek couple. Having spent years on the island work- ing, Thomas Karakletsos and Dimitra Lola feel they know it better than the locals. “We were at a cafe/bar/gallery in Oia one afternoon, towards the end of the why the most expensive villages in San- summer in 2015, and noticed that there topoly are Oia and Finikia.” weren’t any board games, which we’re The course starts at the airport or the both fans of,” remembers Dimitra, who port. The old harbor has taken the place

Ray Ban Ray works as a tour guide. This sparked the of the existing police station and the vol- idea for a board game inspired by Mo- canic islet of Nea Kameni inside the nopoly but dedicated to the Greek is- caldera is jail. land. The couple spent hours developing “When someone loses a round, we the game, with Dimitra taking care of send them to gourmet restaurants and content and Thomas creating the art. cocktail bars,” says Dimitra. “Each of the They day eventually came when the saw cards have a photograph of different lo- Santopoly in an island shop window. cations as well as information on the is- Santopoly’s board is designed with land’s history, architecture, sites, agricul- 874 Anzac Parade, Maroubra Junction snaking cobbled streets so that the tural products and so on.” (at bus stop, on RTA block) squares represent the island’s 22 vil- The hotels are designed to look like the

(at bus stop, on RTA block) Rodenstock, lages. A roll of the dice puts the player at traditional “yposkafa” (dug into the TTeell:: ((0022)) 99331144--00339933 a location where he or she can buy a rock), while the other pieces are done in Serengeti, Maui Jim, Fendi property or explore the possibility of different geometric shapes – all hand [email protected] building one. crafted by Thomas from clay molds. “We tried to adapt the game to the ac- The game, which is available at select- tual conditions of the real estate mar- ed stores on the island and online Nina Ricci, Oakley, La font ket,” says Thomas, a travel agent. “This is (www.santopoly.com), is in English. MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/29 MAY 2017 14/30 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA Arts, Food & Wine Editor: Imogen Coward Of Words and Music: Les Arts Florissants in Australia

By Dr Imogen Coward

At the risk of sounding like the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the artform of opera traces its roots back to Ancient Greece. It does so via the first opera (as we know it), Orfeo, and it’s composer, Claudio Mon- tiverdi (A.D. 1567-1643). Montiverdi, the father of modern Opera, was a major figure in the musical flourishing of Greek thought in the Renaissance. He drew heavily on Greek ideas on using music to reinforce and guide listeners in the interpreta- tion of words as his inspiration for his compositions. Through a study of Greek thought on the different po- etic metres and their emotional impact, he ‘discovered’ the musical means of expressing three principle human passions; anger, moderation and humility or supplica- tion. These observations served as a theoretical basis for both his operas and also in particular his Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi or Madrigals of War and Love pub- lished in 1638. Sydneysiders were recently treated to early examples of Montiverdi’s music, performed by French ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Directed by tenor Paul Agnew, the two Sydney performances were focussed on Montiver- di’s madrigals the text remained the main concern. In Baroque and later periods. Byrd, Purcell and Mozart for di’s Cremona and Mantua Madrigals written in the late his introduction to the concerts, the text, said Agnew, is example, often make certain verse/s effectively mono- 16th century. These madrigals preceded and, as Agnew what guided the performers interpretation as it is what phonic, or at least sung with the voices in rhythmic (if says, laid much of the groundwork for opera to emerge Montiverdi was focussed on himself as the guiding fac- not harmonic) unison, so the listener hears the words as a genre. tor. In essence, the purpose was not necessarily a hum- clearly and knows what part of the service, or which The performances highlighted how Montiverdi stands able tune, but rather imparting the correct meaning to psalm is being sung, before the music renders the stylistically poised between vastly different musical the words through joining them with music. In reality words difficult to comprehend. A related stylistic fea- styles. On the one hand, at times there was the influ- however, the construction of madrigals was significant- ture is found in virtuosic Baroque opera arias which of- ence of ecclesiastical music, in particular as it had de- ly more complex. ten rely on the words first being presented clearly and veloped in the Byzantine and Gregorian chant tradi- Although there are many styles within the broad um- relatively unadorned, and then being repeated as the tions. The text plays a primary role with the musical de- brella of ‘madrigals’, stylistically they are essentially a music becomes increasingly florid. sign reinforcing the structure and meaning of the words Renaissance genre of songs, often unaccompanied and Whilst for Montiverdi the text may have taken ‘centre themselves, especially where a melodic line was paired for four, five or more voices. (A simple, more modern stage’ in how he created his madrigals, there is also an with a slow-moving part, similar to a drone. On the oth- example of a madrigal is Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Brightly inherent intellectual fascination in polyphony for the lis- er hand, stylistically the music was at times also very Dawns Our Wedding Day’ from The Mikado.) Regard- tener. In the more florid and playful madrigals it was clearly part of Western Renaissance/Baroque music. less of language barriers, an omnipresent issue lies in hard not to become absorbed with the unfolding clev- Many of the musical motifs and harmonies in the the stylistic characteristic of the madrigal genre: erness of the music and the skill of the Les Arts Floris- madrigals are also associated, to modern ears at least, polyphony (used to describe music that has more than sants singers. Alongside this however, the concerts also with the instrumental pieces of later Baroque greats, Vi- one independent melodic line at the same time). drew attention to the more dramatic side of Montiver- valdi and Corelli. In madrigals each of the singers generally has an in- di’s madrigals, the emerging use of solo and ensemble Considering Montiverdi’s interest in the Ancient dependent melodic line, which unfold together more- singing, and also of instruments lending a new ‘flavour’ Greek concepts of music, a particularly interesting ele- or-less simultaneously. More often than not the music to the musical timbre. ment of the concerts was the interaction between mu- is quite florid, showing off the skill of the individual per- Where Montiverdi desired it, the listener is steered sic and text. From Plato and Aristotle, through to later formers and often the lyrics of each voice don’t line up toward contemplating the words and their meaning, Greek and Roman thinkers such as Aristides Quintil- with the others as they’re subservient to the rhythm of with the music guiding understanding on an emotional ianus (4th C. B.C.), Athenaeus (2nd C. B.C.), and Sextus the music. As the polyphony becomes more complex, level. The Book Six madrigals and in particular in the Empiricus (2nd C. B.C.), the power of music to engage so too does the task of comprehending the words. hauntingly beautiful ‘Lamento D’Arianna’ and especially and shape emotions was well recognised, though con- Historically, the origins of this complexity lie partly in ‘Ma te raccoglie, o ninfa, in grembo ‘l cielo’ from his Se- flicting views on what constituted ‘good’ music abound- madrigals being recreational music making; a secular stina that stood out in this respect. It was written as a ed. Music’s role in helping to guide a listener’s interpre- form of ‘after dinner music’ where everyone has an lament for the young singer Caterina Martinelli who tation of words was also a fundamental tenet of Greek equally important and melodic role to play. In the ‘orig- was to have sung the title role in the opera Arianna, but thought on music; an understanding that has been car- inal’ situation where each singer would be reading/ who died of smallpox at the age of eighteen. Often- ried through, for example, in Byzantine chant. singing their own part, there is no problem as words are times while one pair of voices carried a melody and the In contrast to how the genre of opera eventually evo- in black and white on the page, no matter how florid words, the other voices instead had long held notes. lved where the music itself may take precedence over and complex the music becomes. But it’s a different The chant-like aspects of the madrigals, their slow me- words within an aria, according to Agnew, in Montiver- story for the listeners, and in particular for us today ter and harmonies, combined with a very minimalist where we are more likely to encounter madrigals in a presentation and the story behind these madrigals concert hall such as with Les Arts Florissants, than combined to create a powerful performance with, from The Greek Australian Vema singing them in our living rooms. a listener’s perspective, the words unequivocally at the For starters there is often a very real language barrier heart. as the madrigals are in Italian, and are also some four- The oldest circulating hundred years old. Even with a helpful overview of the References gist of the songs (as was given in the Sydney concerts) Plato Republic Greek newspaper the problem of complex music obscuring words re- Aristotle Politics mains. Interestingly, a solution employed by Montiverdi Strunk, O. ed. Source Readings in Music History (NY, outside Greece on occasion was to use one voice, or the voices in uni- Norton, 1998) Tel: (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 son to convey the ‘main point’ before the music be- Chryssavgis, M. The Musical Element in the Greek comes heavily polyphonic. Orthodox Liturgy In Western music history, combining text and music in The King’s Singers’ Madrigals Email: [email protected] this way is also readily found in liturgical music of the www.arts-florissants.com MAY 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/31

Greek Australians irrate over politician’s comment on FYROM name

Greek Australians are angry over Liberal Party MP Craig Kelly who made a statement about the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Specifically the Member for Hughes in New South Wales said that, “Australia has delayed for too long the recognition of the country with its constitutional name, and this has to change.” The statement was made at a gathering of the FYROM community in Aus- tralia. South Australia’s Minister for Finance Tom Koutsan- tonis, Federal MP Steve Georganas and other MPs asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop if the Australian gov- ernment has changed its foreign policy regarding FY- ROM. Also, many Greek Australians sent letters protesting Mr Kelly’s statements. Speaking at the SBS Greek radio program, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Arthur Sinodinos underlined that the policy on FYROM has not changed. “The government has not changed its position on this issue. We have said from the beginning that Greece and FYROM must agree on the issues that con- cern them. We, Australia, recognize this country as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” he said. The Paniyiri Greek Festival set to take place in Brisbane May 20-21

The popular Paniyiri Greek Festival is ing, olive and honey puff eating competi- once again taking place in Brisbane! Lo- tions, spaghetti eating, plate smashing, cals are gearing up for the event which and other fun activities! There will even will have traditional Greek food as well be free cooking lessons on display by as the introduction of The Plateia, and a Melbourne-based chef and author Kathy performance in celebration of the Hel- Tsaples. lenic Dancers’ 40th anniversary! Paniyiri 2017 is Organised by the Greek With over an estimated 20 hours in live Orthodox Community of St George and entertainment gracing the stage at the all proceeds benefit the community event, more than 60,000 people who are through initiatives of the Church. expected to attend Paniyiri 2017 will be Don’s miss out! The event takes place sure to find many ways to get their Greek on Saturday, May 20 from 12 noon, and on. Great performers such as Nick Paras, Sunday, May 21 from 10:00 am at Mus- known as Australia’s best bouzouki play- grave Park and The Greek Club (Edmond- er, together with his band NIX Live, stone Street, South Brisbane, QLD). singer Paraskevi Kontoleon, the Canberra Hellenic Dancers and many more talents Tickets: are lined-up for the event. $12 adults (13+) Visitors can even participate in the fes- $5 all pensioners tivities by joining in the famous ZORBA- Children free. Til-You-Drop competition, grape stomp- Two-day pass $20.

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ATHENSPLUS • SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010 TRAVEL Argithea Argithea The cool road to discovery Unspoiled and sparsely populated, this lush central Greek district boasts rustic and breathtaking beauty

BY HARIS ARGYROPOULOS

The Karditsa district in the heart of cen- tral Greece is the smallest of Thes- saly’s four prefectures, with a popu- lation of about 124,000 people, most- ly engaged in farming. Visitors were a rare sight in the area until recent- ly, except at the therapeutic Smoko- vo Baths, which have been a well- known attraction in the area for more than three centuries. Karditsa town, 300 kilometers from Athens and 275 km from Thes- saloniki, on the banks of a tributary of the Pinios River, has a welcoming ambience and is worth a stroll or sit- ting down for coffee or a tsipouro spir- it in one of its many pedestrianized areas. The rest of the district has places of exceptional beauty waiting to be discovered. They include the moun- tain villages of Argithea on the forest- ed slopes of the Agrafa range, the ar- tificial Lake Plastira, Lake Stefaniada, the Smokovo Baths and artificial lake, many beautiful, old stone-built churches, water mills, arched bridges, ornate stone fountains and, of course, the natural surroundings. The villages of Argithea are acces- Irresistible The paved road continues toward sible either by road via Mouzaki or by Sykia and Arta, save for an 8-kilo- a dirt track beginning from the village Fairy-tale pretty houses and meter stretch of dirt track. At Sykia, of Belokomitis near Lake Plastira. traditional cafes and tavernas work on an 150-meter-high dam – de- Eastern Argithea includes the villages beckon visitors among the signed to divert considerable quan- of Vlasi, Fountoto, Drosato, Petrilo, walnut and plane trees tities of the Acheloos River waters to Leontito, Petrohori, Koumpouriana the Thessaly Plain – was recently halt- and Stefaniada. The village named Ar- ed by the government for a review of githea is in Western Argithea, as are the entire project. Ellinika, Kali Komi, Anthiro, Petroto, From Sykia you can get to Katafyl- Mesovouni, Karya and Therino. All li, Vragkiana and Lake Stefaniada but the villages are nestled in the endless only with an SUV. In Katafylli, you will green slopes of Agrafa. find the five-arched stone bridge In ancient times the area was over the Acheloos. known as Athamania. West of today’s You can also follow the road to picturesque Argithea village, ar- Koumpouriana, Roma and Leontito. chaeologists have discovered a ceme- Near Leontito is the Monastery of Spil- tery dating to the 4th century BC with ia, built at the end of the 16th century more than 180 box-shaped tombs as on the edge of a cliff, 800 meters well as pottery and jewelry. The vil- above sea level. lage today is inhabited by only one Lake Stefaniada is a joy to behold. family in the winter months but is not It was created by a rockfall – still vis- to be missed once spring sets in: Fairy- Where to stay Where to eat Bazaar & other shopping ible today – in 1963 and has a depth tale pretty houses and traditional cafes Christina, at Anthiro Diaselo (tel 24450.32213), between Some 28 km northwest of Karditsa, of about 120 meters. To see these and tavernas beckon visitors among (tel 24450.31802), rooms and Vlasi and the Monastery of Spilia, on the bank of the Pamisos River, is places, make sure you have an SUV the walnut and plane trees. apartments; Katouris, at Metamorfosi, virtually the only place open in the Mouzaki, a large, lively village of and that the weather is good. Anthiro, the seat of Argithea mu- 6 km from Anthiro (tel 24450.31691, northern Agrafa area in winter – farmers and stockbreeders. The Smokovo Baths are 35 km nicipality, is the liveliest village in the 6974.808.590), newly built, in green excellent grill, also has very good Every Saturday, the village transforms southeast of Karditsa, at an elevation area with about 300 people. The res- surroundings, with a small pool for honey; Palios Mylos, bar/restaurant into a large, colorful, noisy bazaar; of 450 m. The artificial lake was on- idents are very hospitable and there kids; Delemidi, in Leontito (tel at Anthiro – an old mill in a verdant fruit and vegetables in the covered ly created in 2002, while the history is a very attractive guesthouse, two 24450.32094), panoramic views at gorge, offers meat and trout, open market and just about anything you of the baths goes back to 1662. One tavernas and a great cafe-bar in the 900 m; Kierion, in Karditsa (tel only on weekends in the winter; can imagine on the riverbank outside: of its patrons was Ali Pasha of Ioan- upper reaches with fine views. 24410.71923), Karoplesi, in Dasiko Synantisi, in Anthiro, an old cafe, also clothes, shoes, tools, even animals. nina, in the early 19th century, and At Karya, near Anthiro, is the Tri- Horio (tel 24410.81654). At this time serves homemade dishes, grilled Vendors tout their merchandise, one of the two springs is named af- zolou Bridge, the biggest single- of year, it’s best to call and check meats and excellent tsipouro; quarrel and crack jokes, while people ter him. The mineral composition of arched bridge in Thessaly, built in the whether guesthouses are open before Agnanti and Manitari in Neohori; laden with bags wait for the buses to the springs makes them ideal for al- 13th century. The two grocery stores- you set off. Alternatively, the Spilia Palio (tel 24410.75987), in return home; elsewhere, Agrafa has leviating a wide range of ailments. cafes in Agorasia supply everything Monastery always has rooms and Karditsomagoula, 2 km from famous feta and excellent wine can be There are several renovated hotels from food and tsipouro to gasoline. dormitories for guests. Karditsa, has excellent fare. found in the village of Mesenikolas. and guesthouses nearby.