Remarks of His Eminence
Archbishop Demetrios of America
On the Occasion of Greek Independence Day of March 25, 1821
The White House
March 9, 2010
Mr. President,
Once again, as Greek American Orthodox community, we have the great honor and privilege to be your guests at the White House, on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Greek Independence Day. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and for your commitment to pursue what St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians describes as "
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is gracious"
(Phil. 4:8)
It is exactly in the spirit of these words of St. Paul that we experience this celebration at the White House today.
We are also happy to have with us the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. George Papandreou and his wife Mrs. Ada Papandreou, participating in an event very important for the Greek-American Orthodox community. This is the first time ever, Mr. President, that the Prime Minister of Greece is present in the celebration of Greek Independence Day at the White House. And the fact that the First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama, is here for the first time certainly enhances the joy of the day.
The Greek Revolution and the war for independence, which started on March 25, 1821, was, by all sound criteria, a predictably lost cause. The reasons for such a pronouncement are well known: four centuries under occupation by the mighty and relentless Ottoman Empire; barely organized revolutionaries far outnumbered by huge and well organized armed forces; limited weapons and ammunitions; and a hostile reaction by some strong European countries.
Yet, against all odds and pessimistic predictions, the heroic revolutionaries of 1821 achieved the impossible. They were victorious. They defeated a mighty Empire and established, after four centuries of foreign occupation, a free and independent State, the new Greek State.
This truly amazing achievement became a reality, first thanks to the soul of the fighters, a soul dominated by faith in God and by faith in their destiny to live free and independent. Secondly, thanks to the heart of the fighters, a heart inundated by unusual courage and astonishing fearlessness even in the face of devastating suffering and death. And thirdly, thanks to the mind of the heroes of 1821, a brilliant mind which made out of ordinary people extraordinary military tacticians and strategists able to outwit experienced Ottoman military commanders.
Souls filled with unwavering faith, hearts filled with enormous courage, and minds shining with brilliance made the impossible possible in the epic of the Greek War for Independence of 1821. Today, we pay homage to those heroic fighters of 1821 and we honor their universal legacy for freedom, democracy and independence.
Having the great honor of being their descendants, and the distinct privilege to live in this country, where freedom and independence constitute absolute values, we feel the need to intensify what we can do in order to assist the efforts for establishing freedom, democracy and jus For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
Remarks By The President Honoring Greek Independence Day
March 10, 2010
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
HONORING GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY
East Room
6:06 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Well, good evening, everybody, and welcome to the White House. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate the independence of Greece than with the Prime Minister of Greece. (Laughter.) So, Prime Minister Papandreou, to your lovely wife, Mrs. Papandreou, we are honored by your presence here today. And we are pleased that you were able to bring your extraordinary delegation from Athens.
Now, like his father and his grandfather before him, the Prime Minister is leading Greece through challenging times. But as I told him during our meeting in the Oval Office today, whether in good times or in bad times, the people of Greece will always have a friend and a partner in the United States of America. (Applause.)
Thank you, Your Eminence, for your very kind introduction, and for the wisdom and compassion that has always defined your ministry. Archbishop Demetrios marks his second decade guiding the Greek Orthodox Church and community in America, four decades as a bishop, and, recently, his 82nd birthday. And he is looking really good. (Applause.) I need to find out what he's eating. (Laughter.)
Last year, His Eminence tried to compare me with Alexander the Great. I thought this would get me more respect from Michelle and the girls. (Laughter.) It did not. (Laughter.) They reminded me instead that Greek literature is full of very strong women. (Laughter.)
I want to acknowledge the fact that we're joined by leaders who have strengthened the bonds between us, including our Ambassador Kaskarelis, and from Cyprus, Ambassador Kakouris
.
Please stand up. (Applause.)
We have some outstanding members of Congress who are here, and we've got at least one potential member of Congress -- Alexi, stand up -- from the state of Illinois. (Applause.) We've got in fact, in addition to Alexi, we've got a lot of Greek American friends here who've been great friends and supporters of mine, including folks here from Chicago. I think we've got just about all of Greektown here. (Laughter.) And we also have some of the outstanding Greek Americans who are serving in my administration.
Now, Greek Independence Day isn't for another few weeks. But I'll be on a trip to Asia, so I appreciate you coming early -- not that Greeks have ever needed an excuse to celebrate, let's face it. (Laughter.) But on that day, we'll remember how 189 years ago another bishop stood up, in a monastery in the mountains, raised the Greek flag, declared independence and began the struggle to restore democracy to its birthplace.
But on that day we'll not only celebrate a singular moment in time, we'll be reminded of the spirit that has defined Greece and its people for all time. There's a concept that captures it, and it doesn't translate easily; it doesn't really have an equivalent in English. But it's a virtue that all of you know well, because it's the very essence of being Greek -- and you will forgive if my pronunciation is just so-so -- philotimo. (Applause.) Right? Philotimo. Literally, it translates as "love of honor." I love that concept -- love of honor. But, of course, it means much more than that.
It's a sense of love, to family, and to co For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
Registration Now Available For Ionion Village Family Camp 2010
March 9, 2010
Ionian Village Family Camp, a collaboration of the offices of Ionian Village and the Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, is currently accepting registrations for its inaugural Family Camp to be held July 17-26, 2010.
NEW YORK
– Ionian Village Family Camp, a collaboration of the offices of Ionian Village and the Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, is currently accepting registrations for its
inaugural Family Camp
to be held
July 17-26, 2010.
Families who participate in Ionian Village travel across Greece venerate the relics of saints, walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, and visit significant sites of Greek history and culture. At the end of the program, families return to their homes with strengthened faith and a greater appreciation for the Church and Greek culture.
Participants are encouraged to take advantage of
new
early registration fees, discounts for large families, and children under 12. To qualify for the early registration, participants must register online by
March 31, 2010
.
For more information about the program or to register for Summer Camp 2010 visit
www.ionianvillage.org
or contact the Ionian Village Family Camp at
845.424.8175
or
For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
NBC Network To Air Pascha: The Resurrection Of Christ
March 5, 2010
The video presentation of "Pascha: The Resurrection of Christ," a program highlighting Orthodox Christian Pascha, or Easter, will broadcast on NBC affiliates nationwide in April 2010. The program, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications and sponsored by FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, highlights Holy and Great Week, focusing on the deeply moving and ancient services that recount the Gospel narrative leading to the Death and Resurrection of Christ.
NEW YORK – The video presentation of “Pascha: The Resurrection of Christ,” a program highlighting Orthodox Christian Pascha, or Easter, will broadcast on NBC affiliates nationwide this April. The program, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications and sponsored by FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, highlights Holy and Great Week, focusing on the deeply moving and ancient services that recount the Gospel narrative leading to the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Archbishop Demetrios of America leads a procession of the faithful around the church and outside where, following the reading of the Gospel of the Resurrection, they proclaim the joyous hymn “Christ is Risen!”
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is working with affiliates nationwide, urging them to broadcast the program within their local area. Broadcast information will be posted as soon as it becomes available from affiliates. Below you will find a listing of NBC affiliates by state. Please check the listing for exact date, time and station. Please contact the Department of Communications if you need assistance. You may also contact the Program Manager locally to request coverage.
For more information on coverage please log on towww.goarch.org/special/paschatv
DVD copies of the program available for pre-sale ($25, plus $6 shipping). To pre-purchase please contact the Department of Communications at 212.774.0244 or email gotel@goarch.org.
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