GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL
Prot. No. 206/2021
Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Greek Fire Relief
August 15, 2021
Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, the Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, the Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and the entirety of the Christ-named Plenitude of the Holy Archdiocese of America.
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The fires ravaging Greece have caused the communities of the Omogeneia across the oikoumene to muster their strength and their resources, and rush to the aid of the Greek People and Land. For when we see a house on fire, we do not stop to ask who started it, but hasten to assist in any way that we can. As an Archdiocese, we are responding to this need by offering our assistance, and are inviting every parish across America to generously support our Greek Orthodox brethren. Join us in providing aid to those who have lost their homes and possessions to these unprecedented infernos that are scourging the natural beauty of Greece, and those who are risking their lives fighting these fires. Together we can contribute to the much-needed longer term reconstruction efforts and spur economic revitalization.
Therefore, today — the very day on which we celebrate the “Little Pascha” of our Panagia, the Feast of her glorious Dormition — I am calling upon every parish across our sacred Archdiocese to take-up a special collection for this purpose. I ask that the Parish Councils forward the collected funds immediately to the Archdiocese, so that they may be deployed as expeditiously as possible. Furthermore, a portal has been created on the Archdiocese website, where anyone can make a direct donation to this noble cause. One hundred percent of your contributions will be given directly to those impacted most by the fires. An accounting of all funds raised for this purpose will be made public, so that every person of goodwill can see how their generosity has effectuated positive results on the ground in Greece.
May God, the Comforter, through the intercessions of the Virgin Mother of God, whose sacred Dormition we celebrate this day, send speedy relief to the people of Greece, and bring to an end this terrible inferno that continues to devastate our Ellada.
With paternal blessings and gratitude in our Lord Jesus Christ,
† ELPIDOPHOROS Archbishop of America
ΙΕΡΑ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ
Ἀριθ. Πρωτ. 206/2021
Ποιµαντορικὴ καὶ Ἀρχιεπισκοπικὴ ἐγκύκλιος γιὰ τὴν ἀνακούφιση τῶν πυροπλήκτων τῆς Ἑλλάδας.
15 Αὐγούστου 2021
Ἑορτὴ τῆς Κοιµήσεως τῆς Θεοτόκου
Πρὸς τοὺς Σεβασµιωτάτους καὶ Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καὶ Διακόνους, τοὺς Μοναχοὺς καὶ τὶς Μοναχές, τοὺς Προέδρους καὶ τὰ Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συµβουλίων, τοὺς Ἐντιµολογιωτάτους Ἄρχοντες τοῦ Οἰκουµενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, τὰ µέλη τῆς Ἡγεσίας τῶν 100, τὰ Ἡµερήσια καὶ Ἀπογευµατινὰ Σχολεῖα, τὶς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τὴ Νεολαία, τὶς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸ Χριστεπώνυµο πλήρωµα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀµερικῆς.
Προσφιλεῖς ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφὲς ἐν Χριστῷ,
Οἱ καταστροφικὲς φωτιὲς στὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀποτελοῦν µιὰ ἀφορµὴ γιὰ ὅλες τὶς κοινότητες τῆς ὁµογένειας ἁπανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς, νὰ συγκεντρώσουν ὅλες τὶς δυνάµεις τους, σπεύδοντας γιὰ βοήθεια τοῦ πληγέντος ἑλληνικοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδας. Διότι, ὅταν ἕνα σπίτι καίγεται, δὲν ἀναλωνόµαστε νὰ βροῦµε τὴν αἰτία, ἀλλὰ σπεύδουµε νὰ βοηθήσουµε µὲ κάθε δυνατὸ τρόπο γιὰ τὴν κατάσβεση τῆς φωτιᾶς. Ὡς Ἀρχιεπισκοπὴ ἀνταπακρινόµαστε ἄµεσα στὴν παρούσα ἀνάγκη, προσφέροντας κάθε δυνατὴ βοήθεια καὶ δίνοντας τὴν εὐκαιρία σὲ κάθε κοινότητα σὲ ὅλη τὴν Ἀµερική, µὲ γενναιοδωρία καὶ ἀγάπη νὰ ὑποστηρίξει, κατὰ δύναµιν, τοὺς ἀδελφούς µας στὴν Ἑλλάδα ποὺ ἔχασαν σπίτια καὶ περιουσίες σὲ αὐτὲς τὶς πρωτοφανεῖς πυρκαγιές, ποὺ κατέστρεψαν τὴ φυσικὴ ὀµορφιὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος µας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅλους αὐτοὺς ποὺ ρισκάρουν τὴ ζωὴ τους στὴν κατάσβεση τῆς φωτιᾶς. Ὅλοι µαζὶ µποροῦµε νὰ συµβάλουµε στὶς προσπάθειες ποὺ γίνονται γιὰ τὴν οἰκονοµικὴ ἀνάπτυξη καὶ τὴν ἀνοικοδόµηση τῶν κατεστραµµένων ἀπὸ τὴ φωτιά.
Ἔτσι λοιπόν, σήµερα, ἑορτὴ τῆς Κοιµήσεως τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου, τὴν ἡµέρα ποὺ πανηγυρίζουµε τὸ «Μικρὸ Πάσχα» τῆς Παναγίας µας, κάνω ἔκκληση σὲ κάθε κοινότητα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς µας, νὰ πραγµατοποιήσει ἔρανο γιὰ τὸ σκοπὸ αὐτό. Παρακαλῶ τὰ κοινοτικά συµβούλια νὰ καταθέσουν τὸ ποσὸ τοῦ ἐράνου ἄµεσα στὴν Ἀρχιεπισκοπή, ἔτσι ὥστε ἡ βοήθεια αὐτὴ νὰ προωθηθεῖ τὸ ταχύτερο δυνατό. Γιὰ τὸ σκοπὸ αὐτὸ, ἔχει δηµιουργηθεῖ καὶ µία εἰδικὴ ἱστοσελίδα στὸν ἱστότοπο τῆς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς, ὅπου µπορεῖ κάποιος νὰ πραγµατοποιήσει µία ἀπευθείας δωρεὰ γιὰ τὸν ἱερὸ αὐτὸ σκοπό. Ὁλόκληρο τὸ ποσὸ εἰς τὸ ἀκέραιον, θὰ δοθεῖ γιὰ τὴν ἀνακούφιση τῶν πληγέντων ἀπὸ τὶς φωτιές, ἐνῶ στὸ τέλος θὰ πραγµατοποιηθεῖ δηµόσιος ἀπολογισµὸς γιὰ τὸ σύνολο καὶ γιὰ τὸν τρόπο διάθεσης κάθε βοήθειας, ἔτσι ὥστε κὰθε ἄνθρωπος καλῆς θελήσεως νὰ γνωρίζει πόσο ὠφέλησε τὴν Ἑλλάδα µὲ τὴ γενναιοδωρία του.
Εἴθε ὁ παράκλητος Θεός, διὰ πρεβειῶν τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου, τῆς ὁποίας τὴν κοίµηση σήµερα ἑορτάζουµε, νὰ ἀνακουφίσει σύντοµα τὸν Ἑλληνικὸ λαό, καὶ νὰ θέσει τέρµα σὲ αὐτὴ τὴ λαίλαπα ποὺ κατασπαράσσει τὴν Ἑλλάδα µας.
Μὲ πατρικὲς εὐχὲς καὶ εὐγνωµοσύνη ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ,
† ὁ Ἀµερικῆς Ἐλπιδοφόροs
