The Metropolitan - Encyclical October October 28th 1940

λαίλαπα τοῦ φασισμοῦ σάρωνε τήν Εὐρώπη. Ἡ λογική παρέλυσε.Ὁ Χίτλερ καί ὁ Μουσολίνι μεσουρανοῦσαν. Ἦταν τό ὑπερχείλισμα τοῦ ἐγωϊσμοῦ καί τῆς φιλαυτίας.Ἑκατομμύρια ἄνθρωποι ὑπέφεραν καί πέθαιναν.

Ἦλθε καί ἡ σειρά τῆς Ἑλλάδας. Ὁ Μουσολίνι μέ ἱταμότητα ζητεῖ τήν παράδοσή της. Φρουρός της ὁ Ἑλληνικός λαός. Μέ τό στόμα τοῦ Κυβερνήτη του ἀπαντᾶ: ΟΧΙ.

Ἀρχίζει ὁ ἄνισος ἀγώνας. Ὁ ἡρωϊσμός τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἶναι ἀπερίγραπτος. Ὁ Τσώρτσιλ θαυμάζοντας λέει:

Τά ἀποτελέσματα τοῦ πολέμου γνωστά. Δέν ἐπεκράτησε ἡ βία καί ἡ σκλαβιά. Ἐνίκησε ἡ λογική. Χύθηκε πολύ αἷμα, ἀλλά ἐπέζησε ἡ ἐλευθερία.

Πέρασαν ἀπό τότε 67 χρόνια. Ἡ ὄψη τῆς Εὐρώπης ἄλλαξε. Τά ἐχθρικά στρατόπεδα ἀποσύρθηκαν. Ἱδρύθηκε στήν ἀρχή ἡ Εὐρωπαϊκή Κοινή Ἀγορά καί στήν συνέχεια ἡ Εὐρωπαϊκή Ἕνωση. Γκρεμίσθηκε τό τεῖχος τοῦ Βερολίνου. Ἔπεσε ὁ ὁλοκληρωτισμός στήν Ἀνατολική Εὐρώπη καί ἡ ἀθεΐα. Ἀποκαταστάθηκαν Δημοκρατία καί Ἐλευθερία σέ ὅλες τίς χῶρες. Τό μῖσος ὑπεχώρησε. Ἔκαμε βήματα πρός τά ἐμπρός ἡ φιλία καί ἐπεκράτησε μεταξύ τῶν λαῶν. Φθάσαμε βέβαια στά προβλήματα τῆς Γιουγκοσλαβίας. Καί συνεχίζομε μέ τά προβλήματα τοῦ Κοσσσυφοπεδίου καί τῶν Σκοπίων. Παρ’ ὅλα αὐτά ὑπάρχει πνεῦμα συνεργασίας καί προόδου.

Ὁ πόλεμος πρέπει πάντοτε νά ἀποφεύγεται. Κανείς πόλεμος δέν εἶναι δίκαιος καί τά ἀποτελέσματά τους ἔχουν πάντοτε καί τό στοιχεῖο τῆς καταστροφῆς. Δυστυχῶς, μερικές φορές εἶναι ἀνάγκη ὁ ἄνθρωπος νά ἀμυνθεῖ. Καί τέτοιο ἦταν τό ΟΧΙ τῆς Ἑλλάδας. Ἦταν ἀμυντικό ὄχι.

Ὅλοι πρέπει νά διδασκόμαστε ἀπό τήν Ἱστορία. Ἡ Ἱστορία τοῦ Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου ἔχει πολλά νά μᾶς διδάξει. Ἐμεῖς ὅμως, ἄς σταθοῦμε λιγάκι στό ΟΧΙ τῆς Ἑλλάδας.

Καλά ἔκαμε καί εἶπε τό ΟΧΙ ἡ Ἑλλάδα. Προκειμένου νά ἐπικρατήσει καί νά ἐπιβληθεῖ τό κακό χρειάζεται νά λεχθεῖ το ΟΧΙ. Χρειάζεται ἡ ἀντίσταση. Τό καλό πρέπει νά ἀμυνθεῖ. Αὐτό συνεπάγεται θυσία. Μά γιά τήν ἐπικράτηση τοῦ καλοῦ πρέπει κανείς νά κάμει καί τήν ὑπέρτατη θυσία. Οἱ γονεῖς μας καί τά ἀδέλφια μας αὐτό ἔκαμαν μέ τό ΟΧΙ τοῦ ΄40. Ἐκακοπάθησαν. Ἔχυσαν τό αἷμα τους. Ἔδωκαν τήν ζωή τους γιά τήν Δημοκρατία καί τήν Ἐλευθερία. Γιά νά ζοῦμε ἐμεῖς ἐλεύθεροι σήμερα. Στούς τάφους τους χύνομε δάκρυ εὐγνωμοσύνης. Στίς ψυχές μας κρατοῦμε τόν ἡρωϊσμό τους σάν παράδειγμα. Στίς καρδιές μας ἡ αὐτοθυσία τους εἶναι γραμμένη ἀνεξάλειπτα. Εὐγνωμονοῦμε τούς ἴδιους κι εὐχαριστοῦμε τόν Θεό, πού μᾶς ἔδωκε τέτοιους γονεῖς καί τέτοια ἀδέλφια.

Τό δίδαγμά μας πρέπει νά εἶναι ἔνα: Νά λέμε πάντοτε ναί στό καλό καί πάντοτε ὄχι στό κακό. Νά θυμούμεθα καί νά εὐγνωμονοῦμε τούς ἥρωες πού θυσιάστηκαν. Νά εὐχαριστοῦμε τόν Τρισάγιο Θεό γι’ αὐτούς. Νά μένουμε πιστοί στά ἰδανικά τους. Πιστοί στά ἰδανικά τῆς φυλῆς. Πιστοί στήν Ὀρθοδοξία. Πιστοί στόν Ἀληθινό Θεό. Νά θυσιάζομε τούς ἑαυτούς μας γιά τίς σωστές ἀρχές μας. Ἔτσι νά γιορτάζομε τό ΟΧΙ τῆς 28^ης Ὀκτωβρίου 1940.

Μέ πατρική ἀγάπη καί θερμές εὐχές

Ο ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ

Ο ΤΟΡΟΝΤΟ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΟΣ

ΤΣ:γκ

OCTOBER 2007

To the Reverend Fathers,

Honourable Presidents and

Esteemed members of the Community Councils,

Philoptochos Societies, Teachers, Students and

Youth of our Communities,

And the entire Plenitude of our

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)

28th of October 1940

By Metropolitan Sotirios

he storm of fascism swept over Europe. Logic was paralyzed. Hitler and Mussolini were at the zenith of their might and glory. This was the result of the over-flowing of their egotism and vanity. Millions of people suffered terribly and met awful deaths.

And then, it was the turn of Greece. With shameless impudence, Mussolini demanded her surrender. But her defender and guardian was the Greek people. By the mouth of the Leader, the response to Mussolini was NO!

The unjust war begins. The heroism and valour of the Greek army is indescribable. Marvelling in amazement, Churchill exclaimed: “From now on, we will not say that the Greeks battle like heroes, but rather that heroes battle like the Greeks.”

The result of the war is well known. Violence, force and slavery did not prevail. Logic finally triumphed. Much blood was spilled, but through this sacrifice, freedom survived and flourished.

Since then, 67 years have passed. Europe and its outlook have changed. The enemy encampments have been pulled back. First, the European Common Market was instituted, which continued on as the European Union. The Berlin Wall was broken down and fell. Totalitarianism and atheism were abolished in Eastern Europe. They were replaced by democracy and freedom throughout these counties. Hate and malice rescinded. Friendship and peace made great strides forward, and they have been upheld as most important values between nations. But with the dismantling of communism, came the problem of extreme nationalism and the dismantling of Yugoslavia. This process continues with the problem of Kossovo and FYROM. In spite of these serious issues that remain unresolved, there exists a spirit of cooperation and progress.

If at all possible, war must always be avoided. There is no just war, and war can only result in catastrophe and hardship for everyone involved. Unfortunately, there are occasions where man must defend himself and go to war. This was the case of Greece in 1940. It was a NO of defense, and not a war of offense.

We must all learn the lessons of history. The history of the Second World War has much to teach us. Let us think about the NO which Greece gave to its enemies.

Greece did the right thing in saying NO. So that evil, suffering and hardship would not prevail, it was necessary to say NO. Resistance was necessary. That which is good and right must always be defended. And this entails sacrifice. So that the ultimate good must prevail, one must be prepared to offer the supreme sacrifice and be willing to die to defend these values. This is what our parents and brothers did by loudly responding NO to fascism in 1940. They underwent much suffering and tribulation. They shed their blood for their country. They gave their lives for democracy and freedom, so that we can live free and independent today. Before their graves and their tombs, we shed tears of sorrow and unending gratitude to them. Within our souls, we look up to and hold on to their valour and bravery as our example in living. Within our hearts, their sacrifice is written forevermore, and will never be erased. We are grateful to them, and we thank Almighty God, who gave us such brave parents and brothers.

This is the important lesson that we must all learn: we must always say YES to that which is good and proper, and NO to that which is evil and wrong. We must never forget those heroes who sacrificed themselves for our sake, for we are indebted to them enormously. Let us render thanks unto our Triune God for them and for their accomplishments. Let us remain true to their ideals; faithful to our true God and to Orthodoxy. Let us always be prepared to sacrifice ourselves for our highest principles in life. With these thoughts in mind, let us celebrate the day of OHI and the national commemoration of the 28^th of October 1940.

With fatherly love and fervent prayers,

Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of Toronto (Canada)

TS:pa