Christmas Greeting from Archbishop Chrysostomos

Occasional Cypriot News Contributions Directory

From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>

XRISTOYGENNIATIKOS XAIRETISMOS THS A.M. TOY ARXIEPISKOPOY k.k. XRYSOSTOMOY PROS TOYS APODHMOYS SYMPATRIWTES MAS

"Idoy gar eyaggelizomai ymin xaran megalhn, htis estai panti tw law, oti etexqh ymin shmeron swthr, os esti Xristos Kyrios, en polei Dayid." (Loyk. b, 10-11)

Mesa sthn taraxh kai sth sygxysh twn hmerwn mas, mesa sthn agwnia kai sto agxos, poy anaptyssoyn mesa mas oi sygxronoi tropoi zwhs, mesa stoys antagwnismoys kai sta mish, stoys polemoys kai stis sygkroyseis, erxontai na kaqhsyxasoyn tis cyxes mas oi megales giortes ths qrhskeias mas, ta Xristoygenna, h Prwtoxronia kai ta `Agia Qeofaneia, giati mas bebaiwnoyn pws ston kosmo toyto den eimaste egkataleleimmenoi ki abohqhtoi. Mas synodeyei kai mas periballei h pronoia kai h agaph toy dhmioyrgoy Qeoy.

O Yios toy Qeoy egine anqrwpos gia na mas prosferei th lytrwsh, s' osoys bebaia qelhsoyn na dexqoyn thn prosfora. Na ponesei mazi mas kai na paqei, gia na mas apallajei apo ton pono kai ta opoiadhpote paqh, sta opoia h apomakrynsh mas apo ton Qeo mas ypetaje. `Hrqe sth gh ws eleyqerwths kai swthras kai elabe "doyloy morfhn", gia na mas eleyqerwsei apo ta desma ths amartias kai na mas anoijei diejodo sta adiejoda ths zwhs. Eylabika klinoyme ta gonata kai proskynoyme thn akra toy Qeoy sygkatabash kai agaph kai me xara pragmati megalh oi opoy ghs Xristianoi giortazoyme thn asyllhpth sthn anqrwpinh dianoia prosfora ayths ths qeikhs agaphs.

Gematoi ki emeis ap' ayth th xara speydoyme na th moirasqoyme mazi sas, agaphtoi apodhmoi adelfoi, kai, me thn eykairia twn megalwn aytwn giortwn ths Xristianosynhs, na epikoinwnhsoyme mazi sas, na sas bebaiwsoyme gia mia akomh fora gia to endiaferon mas gia sas kai thn agaph mas. Na sas bebaiwsoyme pws oyte oi megales apostaseis, oyte ta opoiadhpote synora einai dynato na sas xwrizoyn pneymatika kai cyxika apo mas. Mas enwnoyn h idia orqodojh pisth sto Xristo, to idio ellhniko aima, h idia istoria kai paradosh. Alla kai oi idioi agwnes, oi idioi poqoi, oi idies anazhthseis toy pneymatos. Gi' ayto kai xairome kai sympasxoyme mazi, metadidontas pros allhloys ta aisqhmata ths xaras kai ths lyphs mas.

Agaphtoi Apodhmoi Adelfoi, Einai ta eikosta deytera Xristoygenna poy giortazei o kypriakos Ellhnismos mesa stis tragikes synqhkes ths hmikatoxhs kai ths abebaiothtas gia th mellontikh eqnikh kai qrhskeytikh toy epibiwsh. Oi Toyrkoi eisboleis oxi mono ejakoloyqoyn na katexoyn th mish patrida mas, alla kai karadokoyn na paroyn kai thn allh. Stis tetrakosies kai pleon ekklhsies kai parekklhsia toy katexomenoy borra ths nhsoy mas den akoysqhke oyte kai fetos to xarmosyno mhnyma ths enanqrwphshs toy Xristoy. `Emeinan kai fetos ekei b˙ybes, sylhmenes, xwris ymnoys, xwris leitoyrgies, xwris keria, xwris qymiamata. Baqys o ponos, kai to dakry ths nostalgias pikro. H syneidhsh omws oti o Xristos hrqe sth gh ws eleyqerwths kai swthras, ws yperaspisths kaqe adikoymenoy kai katatregmenoy anqrwpoy, den mas afhnei, oso anisxyroi ki an eimaste, na byqistoyme sthn apognwsh. Den qa ypokycoyme sthn adikia kai den qa apodexqoyme thn arpagh. Me pisth sthn agaph toy Qeoy kai sth dynamh ths dikaiosynhs qa agwnizomaste anypoxwrhtoi gia th diekdikhsh twn dikaiwn mas, mexri th mera, poy apo toys ambwnes twn sklabwmenwn shmera ekklhsiwn mas, ths Keryneias, ths Morfoy, ths Kyqreas, ths Karpasias, ths Ammoxwstoy, ths Mesaorias qa akoysqei jana megaloprepa to aggeliko mhnyma: "Idoy eyaggelizomai ymin xaran megalhn, oti etexqh ymin shmeron swthr, os esti Xristos Kyrios".

S' ayto ton agwna eimaste bebaioi oti exoyme ki esas symparastates kai synagwnistes, agaphtoi apodhmoi adelfoi. Mh mas jexnate, opoy ki an briskesqe. H kaqe stigmh poy perna einai polytimh gia to mellon kai thn epibiwsh mas. Mhn afhnete pote na fygei apo tis skeceis sas to oti oi `Ellhnes adelfoi sas ths Kyproy antimetwpizoyn kindyno oloklhrwtikoy jerizwmatos apo tis patrogonikes toys esties. Akoyste thn kraygh toy ponoy toys kai afhste na ycwqei katakoryfh mesa sas h syneidhsh toy adelfikoy xreoys. O kaqenas ap' ekei poy briskesqe ki analoga me tis dynatothtes poy diaqetei, enwste mazi mas tis dynameis sas, dwste ta xeria ston koino agwna gia apeleyqerwsh twn sklabwmenwn edafwn ths ellhnikhs Kyproy, gia thn ejasfalish kai katoxyrwsh ths epibiwshs toy laoy mas ws eleyqerwn anqrwpwn, Ellhnwn kai Xristianwn, panw s' ayth th nhso, poy mas klhrodothsan oi pateres mas.

Seis kat' ejoxh `Ellhnes adelfoi ths Amerikhs, mh mas jexnate. Mhn epitrecete sthn apostash poy mas xwrizei na yposkacei mesa sas th syneidhsh ths adelfosynhs poy prepei na mas enwnei. Mhn afhsete tis ylikes frontides kai merimnes na diagracoyn apo mesa sas to agwnistiko sas fronhma. Zhte kai ergazesqe se mia xwra poy diamorfwnei shmera ta pagkosmia politika pragmata. Ponoyme, adelfia, kai zhtoyme th dikh sas sthrijh kai enisxysh. Mas adikoyn kai zhtoyme th dikh sas symparastash kai systrateysh. Eisqe h pio isxyrh elpida ston yper elyqerias agwna poy diejagoyme. Sas parakaloyme, mh mas egkataleipete. Mh jexnate oti ta opla poy strefontai enantion mas doqhkan stoys eisboleis apo th dikh sas xwra. Organwqeite kai systhmatika o kaqenas apo thn epaljh, poy sas prosferetai, dwsate to paron sas ston dikaio agwna twn adelfwn sas ths Kyproy. Me syntonismenes prospaqeies, kai me programmatismenes energeies ekei sta kentra twn apofasewn ths xwras sas, probalete isxyrh thn ajiwsh sas gia apokatastash ths dikaiosynhs kai ths eleyqerias, kai olwn twn anqrwpinwn diakiwmatwn sthn Kypro. Katasthsate safes pws ws `Ellhnes kai ws Amerikanoi polites den qa stamathsete ton agwna mexri poy h Kybernhsh ths Amerikhs qa timhsei thn paradosh ekeinwn poy esthsan ws aymbolo ths Amerikhs to agalma ths Eleyqerias. Mexri poy eilikrina kai apofasistika energhsei oxi -xarin opoiwndhpote skopimothtwn- gia na kalyptei kai na enisxyei ton epidromea, alla gia na apaithsei kai na epityxei thn amesh apoxwrhsh toy apo thn Kypro.

Me ayta ta aisqhmata poy mas parexei h giorth twn Xristoygennwn, alla kai me ayth thn ekklhsh xairetizoyme patrika oloys mazi kai ton kaqena sas jexwrista, apodhmoi adelfoi, kai eyxomaste apo baqoys cyxhs opws o Xristos, poy enanqrwphse gia mas, sas didei dynamh, ygeia kai kaqe kalo kai opws eyloghsei, wste to neo etos 1996 na einai kai gia sas kai gia mas, alla kai gia olo to eqnos, etos proodoy kai eytyxias, etos nikhs kai dikaiwshs twn agwnwn mas.

Xronia polla s' oloys sas. Didete pantote opoydhpote ki an briskesqe entimh thn martyria ths Ellhnikhs sas katagwghs alla kai ths Orqodojhs Xristianikhs mas Pistews. O Qeos mazi sas.

Iera Arxiepiskoph Kyproy
Xristoygenna 1995.