This is the
address on 4th June from the Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II
during an ecumenical celebration at the archeological area of the Church of
Agia Kiriaki Chrysopolitiss, Paphos, Cyprus
* * *
Your Holiness, Pope Benedict of old Rome,
Welcome to the Island of Saints and Martyrs!
Welcome to the first Church of the Nations, founded by the Apostles Barnabas,
Paul and Mark!
Welcome to the Church of the Apostles, after the establishment of which the
Holy Spirit led the Apostles to separate themselves from their brethren and
sent them towards the Nations!
“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and
from there they sailed to Cypru s. When they arrived at Salamis, they preached
the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews … they had gone through the
island to Paphos” (Acts 13:4-6).
In this very spot, your Holiness, stood the synagogue of the Jews and from this
place St Barnabas and St Paul preached the word of God to the Jews.
“But the word of God is not chained” (2 Timothy 2:9). It could not
have been possible for the Spirit of Love of the Incarnate, Crucified and
Resurrected Lord to remain restricted among the Jews. Jesus Christ came to the
world “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life” (John 3:15).
The commandment of the Holy Ghost was for them to preach to the Nations. Thus,
when the Roman deputy, Sergius Paulus, “a prudent man” according to
St. Luke, invited the Apostles “to hear the word of God” (Acts 13:7)
they gladly went forth to the place where the political administration of the i
sland was based in order to preach the word of the Lord for the first time
among the Gentiles also.
At this point, “Barnabas and Paul exchanged their roles. Here was a place
not for the Cypriot, but the Roman citizen”.
As of that moment Paul became the leader of the mission. He also changed his
name. From this moment on he was no longer called Saul in the New Testament,
but Paul!
It was in this town that the first miracle of the Apostles was performed, as
recorded in the New Testament. It was here that the first European citizen was
baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. It was here that the first official
citadel of idolatry fell and in its place the glory of the Cross was raised in
all its splendor, and would gradually spread to cover the whole of Europe and
shape its historical future.
It is here, your Holiness, that the Christian roots of Europe took seed and
from here its spiritual shoots first burst forth. The foundatio ns of the
edifice of Christian civilization in Europe were laid on this very spot where
we now stand, deeply moved by the sense of history. It is for this reason that
Cyprus is justly called “the Gate of Christianity in Europe”.
Here in Paphos, after the wondrous events that took place, Paul became
established as the Apostle to the Nations, and went on to sow the seeds of the
bread of life in your own cathedra and throughout the whole of Europe.
Your Holiness,
Since 45 AD when the Apostles first set their foot upon this island until the
present day, the Church of Cyprus has had a long and fruitful Christian course.
Throughout its long progress it has endured numerous troubles and difficulties,
lived through dark nights, experienced many conquests, gone ‘through fire and
water’, but guided always by the Holy Spirit, not only did it survive, but it
continues to give its Orthodox Christian Testimony, and to fulfill its
God-given missio n.
But, alas, since 1974, Cyprus and its Church have been experiencing the most
difficult times in their history.
Turkey, which attacked us barbarously and, with the power of its arms, occupied
37% of our territory, is proceeding — with the tolerance of the so-called
‘civilized’ world — to implement its unholy plans, first to annex our occupied
territories and then the whole of Cyprus.
In the case of our island, as it has done elsewhere, Turkey has implemented a
plan of ethnic cleansing. It drove out the Orthodox Christians from their
ancestral homes and brought — and continues to bring — hundreds of thousands
of settlers from Anatolia, thus altering the demographic character of Cyprus.
In addition, it has changed all the historical place names into Turkish ones.
Our cultural heritage has been plundered relentlessly and our Christian monuments
are being destroyed or sold on the markets of illicit dealers in antiquities,
in an attempt to rid the island of every last trace of all that is Greek or
Christian.
We hope that in this terrible ordeal, which has caused so much agony to the
Christian congregation of our Church since 1974, the Good and All-Merciful Lord
will not turn His face from our suffering people, but will grant us Peace,
Freedom, and Justice, thus granting to us the all-fulfilling love given by His
presence in our hearts.
In this struggle of ours, Your Holiness, which the Cypriot people are waging
with the guidance of their Leaders, we would greatly appreciate your active
support. We look forward to your help in order to ensure protection and respect
for our sacred monuments and our cultural heritage, in order that the
diachronic values of our Christian spirit might prevail. These values are
currently being brutally violated by Turkey — a country desirous of joining
the European Union.
Your Holiness,
In this joyful moment of your presence among us together with your retinue, we,
the President of the Republic, the Government, the Holy Synod, the pious
congregation of our Church, and I personally, would like once again to address
to you a heartfelt welcome and wish you a pleasant stay.
+Chrysostomos Archbishop of Cyprus
Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus
4 June 2010