ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΩΤΟΤΥΠΟ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΕΙ
EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). If you had any doubt that the faithlessness and heresy in Orthodoxy emanates from the head of the Church, Pat. Bartholomew, here is the proof that the “fish stinks from the head.” AB Makarios “sanctified himself” and ordered the hagiographer to depict him next to Jesus Christ and Saint Paisios – a similar situation as Bartholomew had done a few years ago in Saint Nicholas of Ground Zero – where he put himself at the same level as Saint Nicholas!!!
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AB Makarios Of Australia As A Self-Depicted “Orthodox” Saint!!
By Vasso Morali
Up to now, we understood that monks in Orthodoxy practice extreme humility, modesty, and discretion. They commit themselves to this, avoiding vanity as a deadly sin. We still knew that the people of God, the faithful, highlighted our saints, recognizing their holiness through their long-term devotion to the teaching of Christ through words and deeds, through sacrificial and humble life and action, but also horrible tortures or their death to defend their faith and Christian principles! The official Church simply came later to formally proclaim them saints, sealing their popular recognition.
“Self-sanctification” in Orthodoxy does not exist, as – apart from being ridiculous – a senior cleric proclaiming himself a … saint while he lives, or projecting himself as the equal of a saint and portraying himself in an image TOGETHER with Christ and with one of the MOST HUMBLE SAINTS of Orthodoxy, Saint Paisios, in the cathedral of his Province is the ultimate deafness of vanity and arrogance!
But the current archbishop of Australia – and former “humble monk” in Crete – Makarios Griniezakis “achieved” this, with the icon that was painted for him (on his order?) and is now hosted in the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Sydney (the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Australia) – as those who came to the “Doxology” for the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the completion of 100 years since the establishment of the Archdiocese of Australia had the opportunity to “admire” yesterday (October 4, 2024) !..
Yes, it’s not a joke! You can clearly see in the picture I am posting Mr. Makarios posing in person as “Makarios Of Australia” to the left of Christ’s throne and opposite the -real saint- the most humble Saint Paisios! Who – under the blessed Archbishop of Australia, Stylianos Harkianakis (with whom they maintained a long-standing friendship) – had visited Australia as a spiritual person and had guided the Great Hierarch Stylianos in the establishment of the first Greek Orthodox monasteries on the fifth continent.
Last year, Makarios had the …brilliant idea (taking advantage of the relationship that the – later sanctified – monk Paisios had established with our Australian diaspora in the 1970s, because of the 44-year-old archbishop of Australia Stylianos/direct predecessor of Makarios) to declare Paisiοs the “patron saint” of Australia. So, what was more natural for him to now put himself as “equal and similar” to Saint Paisios in the same image, even offering to Christ as a gift the Cathedral of the Archdiocese in Sydney (as if he built it or bought it himself!).
Tell me, please, when and where in Greece, Cyprus, Europe, America have you ever seen an active Hierarch display himself as a … saint in a church icon, so that the faithful worship him together with the others depicted: Christ and another real saint!
So that I, the uninformed, can find out and not do injustice to this new “saint” of our faith: my fatherless persecutor in the Greek courts, Makarios Griniezakis!..
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Vaso E. Morali is a journalist and lawyer, with a long tenure at ERT (among other things, she was the first correspondent of ERT in Australia since 1989) and in other Greek media. For eight years she lived in Sydney and worked with the Australian state broadcaster SBS (Director of the Greek Program 2011 – 2015). He is a member of ESIEA.
Ο ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΥΣΤΡΑΛΙΑΣ ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΣ ΑΥΤΟ-ΑΠΕΙΚΟΝΙΖΟΜΕΝΟΣ ΩΣ ΝΕΟΣ “ΑΓΙΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑΣ”!
Της Βάσως Μώραλη
Έως τώρα στην Ορθοδοξία γνωρίζαμε ότι οι μοναχοί ασκούνται στην άκρα ταπείνωση, στη σεμνότητα και στη διακριτικότητα. Αυτό δεσμεύονται στην κουρά τους να κάνουν, αποφεύγοντας ως θανάσιμη αμαρτία τη ματαιοδοξία. Ακόμα γνωρίζαμε πως ο λαός του Θεού αναδεικνύει τους αγίους και οσίους μας, αναγνωρίζοντας την αγιοσύνη τους μέσα από την μακρόχρονη αφοσίωσή τους στη διδασκαλία του Χριστού με έργα και λόγια, μέσα από θυσιαστική και ταπεινή ζωή και δράση, αλλά και με φρικτά βασανιστήρια ή με τον θάνατό τους για να υπερασπιστούν την πίστη και τις χριστιανικές αρχές τους! Η επίσημη Εκκλησία έρχεται απλώς εκ των υστέρων να τους ανακηρύξει και τυπικά αγίους, επισφραγίζοντας τη λαϊκή αναγνώρισή τους.
“Αυτοαγιοποίηση” στην Ορθοδοξία δεν υπάρχει, καθώς -πέραν του γελοίου του πράγματος- το να αναγορεύει κάποιος ανώτερος κληρικός από μόνος του τον εαυτό του σε …άγιο, ενόσω ζει, ή να αυτοπροβάλλεται ως ισότιμος ενός αγίου και να αυτοαπεικονίζεται σε εικόνα ΜΑΖΙ με τον Χριστό και με έναν από τους ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΤΕΡΟΥΣ ΑΓΙΟΥΣ της Ορθοδοξίας μέσα στον καθεδρικό ναό της Επαρχίας του είναι το άκρον άωτον της ματαιοδοξίας και της αλαζονείας!
Το “πέτυχε” ΚΑΙ αυτό ο νυν αρχιεπίσκοπος Αυστραλίας -και πρώην “ταπεινός μοναχός” στην Κρήτη- Μακάριος Γρινιεζάκης, με την εικόνα που του αγιογράφησαν (κατ’ εντολήν του;) και φιλοξενείται πλέον στον Ι. Ν. του “Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου” στο Σίδνεϊ (τον καθεδρικό της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αυστραλίας) -όπως είχαν την ευκαιρία να “θαυμάσουν” από χθες (4/10/2024) όσοι προσήλθαν στη “Δοξολογία” για την επίσκεψη του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη και τη συμπλήρωση 100 χρόνων από την ίδρυση της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αυστραλίας!..
Ναι, δεν είναι ανέκδοτο! Μπορείτε ξεκάθαρα να δείτε στην εικόνα που δημοσιεύω τον κ. Μακάριο να ποζάρει αυτοπροσώπως ως “Ο Αυστραλίας Μακάριος” αριστερά του ενθρόνου Χριστού και απέναντι από τον -πραγματικό άγιο- ταπεινότατο αγιορείτη Παΐσιο! Ο οποίος -επί μακαριστού αρχιεπισκόπου Αυστραλίας Στυλιανού Χαρκιανάκη (με τον οποίο διατηρούσαν μακρόχρονη φιλία)- είχε επισκεφθεί την Αυστραλία ως πνευματικός κι είχε καθοδηγήσει τον Μεγάλο Ιεράρχη Στυλιανό στην ίδρυση των πρώτων ελληνορθόδοξων μοναστηριών στην πέμπτη ήπειρο.
Πέρυσι ο Μακάριος είχε τη φαεινή ιδέα (εκμεταλλευόμενος τη σχέση που είχε θεμελιώσει ο -μετέπειτα άγιος- αγιορείτης μοναχός Παΐσιος με την αυστραλιανή ομογένειά μας τη δεκαετία του ’70 -χάριν και εξαιτίας του επί 44 χρόνια αρχιεπισκόπου Αυστραλίας Στυλιανού/άμεσου προκατόχου του Μακάριου), να ανακηρύξει τον Παΐσιο “προστάτη άγιο” της Αυστραλίας.
Οπότε, τι πιο …φυσικό να βάλει τώρα ως “ίσο κι όμοιο” του αγίου Παϊσίου τον εαυτό του στην ίδια εικόνα, προσφέροντας μάλιστα στον Χριστό ως δωράκι και τον καθεδρικό ναό της Αρχιεπισκοπής στο Σίδνεϊ (λες και τον έχτισε ή τον αγόρασε ο ίδιος!).
“Κι η μυλωνού (εξομοιώνει) τον άντρα της με τους πραματευτάδες” λέει ο σοφός λαός μας…
Πείτε μου, σας παρακαλώ, πότε και πού σε Ελλάδα, Κύπρο, Ευρώπη, Αμερική έχετε ξαναδεί εν ενεργεία Ιεράρχη να μοστράρει τον εαυτό του ως …άγιο σε εικόνα ναού, για να τον προσκυνούν οι πιστοί μαζί με τους άλλους απεικονιζόμενους: τον Χριστό κι έναν ακόμη πραγματικό άγιο!
Για να το μάθω κι εγώ η …ανενημέρωτη και να μην αδικώ αυτόν το νέο “άγιο” της πίστης μας: τον άτεγκτο διώκτη μου στα ελληνικά δικαστήρια, τον Μακάριο Γρινιεζάκη!..
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Η Βάσω Ε. Μώραλη είναι δημοσιογράφος και νομικός, με μακρόχρονη θητεία στην ΕΡΤ (μεταξύ άλλων, υπήρξε η πρώτη ανταποκρίτρια της ΕΡΤ στην Αυστραλία από το 1989) και σε άλλα ελλαδικά ΜΜΕ. Επί οκταετία έζησε στο Σίδνεϊ και συνεργάστηκε με την κρατική Ραδιοτηλεόραση Αυστραλίας SBS (Διευθύντρια του Ελληνικού Προγράμματος 2011 – 2015). Είναι μέλος της ΕΣΗΕΑ.
Jesus warned his disciples that false doctrine and false teachers would arise within the Church. He spoke of thieves, robbers, strangers, hired hands and wolves (see John 10) and of himself as a good shepherd, protecting the flock. So it ought to come as no surprise when the Church becomes something of a battleground, and all kinds of heresies spring up. This has happened throughout history.
Lee Gattis
Why isn’t Makarios’ luxury apartment in Sydney depicted in that icon? I’m sure it would align very well to St. Paisios’ dwelling on Mt. Athos…. :)
The painter seems to have forgotten
to give Archbishop Makarios a halo,
for some unaccountable reason…
Brendan,
That’s actually the “claimed distinction” that iconographers will cite when doing these sorts of things…that those who are not official saints of the Church are easily discerned because they are intentionally depicted without halos…nevertheless, even with this “justification of matters”, this sort of icon remains fairly provocative and controversial…It is not a model of “hierarchical humility”.
In monastic tradition, monasteries don’t even have mirrors, so that monastics avoid any possibility of temptations of grandeur, self-importance, and pride by seeing themselves in the mirror…In fact, most monastics also tend to avoid cameras and picture-taking by 3d parties as well. And here, in contrast, the “shining star of humility”, Makarios intentionally wants to “see himself” seated next to Christ in an icon…
Maybe there would be a “slight argument” in favor of this sort of iconographic depiction if Makarios had actually ESTABLISHED Orthodoxy in Australia from a non-existent state, converted hundreds of thousands to the faith through prayer and miraculous works, etc, but we all know that he was merely inserted as the tactical administrator of an existing established ecclesiastical structure…Makarios hasn’t really “offered much” spiritual growth or progress in order to be memorialized in such a manner, as far as we can tell by the public record that is available to date. In fact, he has contributed to schism and division among the faithful.
In summary, this sort of depiction is both shameful and provocative.
It’s sad to see this fake news. This icon is 100% not in the cathedral of the annunciation in Sydney. I was just there. I urge you to check facts from this reporter.
We just received a correction from the author: she clarifies that the icon is somewhere in the archdiocese headquarters and that Makarios definitely gave the order for the icon to be made. We will post her response tomorrow.
Should we be thankful he has chosen to
be seated at the left hand of the Lord?
“Tell me, please, when and where in Greece, Cyprus, Europe, America have you ever seen an active Hierarch display himself as a … saint in a church icon, so that the faithful worship him together with the others depicted: Christ and another real saint!”
Well, if you think this is bad, in the chapel of St. John the Theologian, which is in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada, along with the Greek Orthodox School of Theology (in Toronto) is a wall icon of Christ at the helm of a boat, which depicts the Church – oh sorry, wait – it’s not Christ at the helm, it’s ARCHBISHOP SOTIRIOS…
At least Makarios is depicted to the LEFT of Christ’s throne, which means he is an eschatological GOAT, and unless he repents and turns into a LAMB, he will have a bad end. So, there is some truth to how he is depicted in his icon…but what do you say of Sotirios who has dared to replace Christ with himself, in the icon that depicts the Church in a boat with Christ at the helm? I say…the problem is systemic, and worse than you all thought.
Please remind me: who was the Holy Elder who said, “αν δεν πεταξουν τις κολοκυθες απο τα κεφαλια τους, δεν προκειται να παει καλα η Εκκλησια.”
Overlooking Bantry Bay in Ireland there is a stone pillar
(7th-8th C) depicting a boat carrying its crew to heaven,
over a sea of crosses – with another cross fixed to the stern.
St Brendan the Navigator is most likely the intended helmsman,
as it was from Bantry Bay he set off on his famous voyage.
The boat represents both St Brendan’s boat and the Church.
However, as St Brendan was long dead when it was carved,
it cannot be attributed to any self-promotion on his part.
Can I ask where this icon is and if your really a respectable journalist – who commissioned the icon and where is it located now? I struggle to believe the archbishop would do such a thing.
I explained above. Why do you struggle to believe that he would do such a thing? Did he give many indications of his adherence to our faith? His first action even before he stepped in Australia was to buy a $6.5 million home. And his second action was to give an award to a supporter of gay causes. Why do you struggle to believe it? You were not convinced by the way he treated Papa Lefteris, the most d and respected priest of his Archdiocese?