18354 - The Greek Church as a reference point

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias

In our homeland, the Church is not an external factor that we can throw away as we wish.
For centuries on we are Greeks, and we remained Greeks with the aid of the Church, and it’s not necessary for us to refer to Aghios Kosmas the Aetolian, to Athanasios Diakos, to Palaion Patron Germanos, and or to Papaflessas, in order to prove its undeniable contribution to Hellenism.
So when we hear irrelevant politicians trying to convince us that they are about to seize the church’s property, a popular saying comes to mind: “where in the hell you think you are going to mate?”.
Because if they really believe it, this is already an issue, then how do they know that the Greek nation agrees with them?
We have heard such verbalism many times over, from barbarian invaders and countless serviles, but we’ve never allowed them to put their hands on our Church, not only as an institution, but as a reference point of our people.
And there’s no way that people who are fooling around with words, because they have nothing else up their sleeve, to be allowed by us to insult the Church without our resistance.
We’ve never said that all within the church are saints, if that was the case, it would’ve been said by the Church itself, and it’s not of course for this reason that we are recipients of such unacceptable attacks.
We’ve lived closesly through cases which were very dangerous towards Hellenism, and in which the Church played an official role, so that we wouldn’t be devoured by ignorance and indifference.
Consequently, we don’t need anyone to prove its worth to us.
Our Church for centuries on, with its temples and its monasteries, has protected our people from the barbarians, and it had been through many tortures as a result.
We had Martyrs in our faith who remind us of it through their works.
Consequently, whoever contradicts our Church of Byzantium, is simultaneously opposing Hellenism as well, and he may come whenever he wants, we’ll be expecting him.