Archbishop Makarios of Australia has delivered a message for ANZAC Day, urging reflection on the enduring values of sacrifice, unity and human dignity at a time when conflict and injustice persist globally.

In a statement released by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, His Eminence highlighted the deep historical ties between Greece and Australia, forged through shared struggles and strengthened by the sacrifices of the ANZACs. He also called on the faithful and the wider community to honour their legacy not only in remembrance, but through a renewed commitment to compassion, justice and peace in today’s world.

The Archbishops full statement:

Each year on the 25th of April year, Australia honours the men and women who, answering the call of duty strove with courage and steadfast devotion to the highest ideals, counting neither personal cost nor even their very lives.

For us Greeks in particular, ANZAC Day moves us deeply, as it reminds us of the bonds of blood that connect our motherland, Greece, with our second homeland, Australia. These are

bonds forged through common struggles and sacrifices during the past century, with the decisive contribution of the heroic ANZACs.

We remember with feelings of gratitude the brave men and women who, far from their own land, their homes, and their loved ones, selflessly defended the universal values of human dignity, freedom, and justice. Many of them never returned to the Fifth Continent, but lie at rest in the lands of Lemnos, Crete, and mainland Greece in places which, thanks to their sacrifice, have been transformed into monuments of solidarity and selfless struggle for what is good and just.

In our own day, as the cries of war are still heard in many corners of the world, and as violence, injustice, and the violation of human dignity persist as painful realities, the memory of the ANZACs and their sacrifice summons us not to turn our gaze away from the suffering of our neighbour, nor to permit evil and injustice to prevail.

Let us truly honour the ANZACs by making the ideals for which they struggled, and even gave their lives, the compass of our lives. Let us show in deed that we do not forget them, and that we never will!