It was two hundred years ago today (technically the anniversary will be in thirteen days as the Julian Calendar was in use then) that the Greeks rose up to claim their place in the world. A free and independent Greece came to be because of the long and bloody struggles and sacrifices of the heroic Greek freedom fighters. Those sacrifices are remembered by the nations of the world on this day!
World leaders arrived in Athens for the festivities. Covid 19 could not disrupt the festivities. Greece was today the center of the world. Prime Minister Mitsotakis performed very well before his distinguished guests. The Greek Prime Minister has the potential for greatness.
The spirit of defiance that led to the heroic uprising of March 25 lives again with the policies and alliances formed by Prime Minister Mitsotakis. Two hundred years ago, the Greeks fought against the tyrannical rule of the Ottoman Empire. Today, Turkey is led by a President who vows to restore the Ottoman Empire.
Greece has seen successes and failures over the past two hundred years. The Greek State expanded from 1821 until 1947 when the Dodecanese islands became part of Greece. The effort to liberate Cyprus failed when Turkish aggressors invaded and occupied that Hellenic island in 1974. The Greeks of Northern Epirus remain under persecution in Albania.
The Turkish Government today openly covets the Greek islands. Greece again faces a tyrant with genocidal ambitions. The Greeks must take inspiration from the heroes of 1821 such as Theodore Kolokotronis and Laskalina Baboulidis, but above all they must take inspiration from God!
Orthodoxy sustained the Greek people throughout the centuries of Ottoman rule. The faith of Christ bestows strength upon those who struggle but keep the faith. It is not an accident of history that Archbishop Germanos raised the standard of revolt. The Archbishop of Patra is the spiritual father of modern Greece.
On Easter Sunday, Patriarch Gregory V was hanged at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in retaliation for the Greek uprising against the Turks. The Patriarch had known about the uprising that was being planned, and while he distanced himself from it he did not reveal the plans of the Greeks to the Turks. For this reason, he forfeited his life.
The Greeks today have much to be proud of and to celebrate. The future of Greece depends on the national consciousness and the remembrance of what the founders fought and died for. Concepts such as independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity keep a nation-state functioning.
Long live Greece on the day of the feast of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she was chosen to become the Mother of God. May the Most Holy Theotokos (Mother of God) watch over the Greek nation and guide them into the arms of her Son. May Christ watch over and protect the Greek nation from all threats spiritual as well as from the menace of external invaders.
Long Live Greece on this day of March 25, 2021