MAKARIOS
by God’s mercy, Archbishop of the Most Holy Archdiocese of Australia, Primate and Exarch of All Oceania, to the God-loving Bishops, the gracious clergy, the monastic communities, to the Presidents of the honourable Administrative Committees and Philoptochos Associations, to the teachers and students in the Schools, to those who work in the philanthropic institutions and to all the Christ-loving plenitude of the Orthodox Church in Australia, grace and peace from Christ our Saviour who gloriously rose.
Most honourable Fellow Bishops and my beloved children,
One of the greatest scourges of our time is loneliness, which affects millions of our fellow human beings without exception. Young and old, rich and poor, unknown and famous, leaders and those who are led—all of us, at some point, have experienced loneliness. Of course, the harshest kind of loneliness is not when you are physically alone, but when, despite being surrounded by many people, you still feel alone. The deepest type of loneliness is when you are with someone, but you cannot speak freely, or when you simply say “I’m fine” so that no one will ask you anything more. The deepest loneliness is when you are in a relationship but do not feel the sense of “fellowship” or “togetherness”. You feel like you are there only to fill voids and meet needs, without, however, experiencing a sense of fullness. But above all, the harshest kind of loneliness is when you live your daily life without God.
Loneliness without the risen Christ—the Conqueror and Victor—is truly the most painful and comes with many side effects. Chief amongst them is depression. When we believe in the Resurrection of Christ, we live a paradox. According to the hymnographer: “The miracles are revealed to those who worship the mystery [of the Resurrection] with faith”. With Christ’s Resurrection, everything changes and gains meaning. Loneliness is transformed into a state of peace and stillness that does not disturb, disappoint, or depress. And most importantly, loneliness—when lived with faith in the Risen Christ—frees you from the external and perishable influences of this world and helps you experience the imperishable.
To this resurrected way of life, I invite you all. Live your loneliness in the company of Christ.
Christ is Risen! Truly is Risen!
In Sydney, on the Sunday of Pascha, the 20th of April 2025,
Prayerfully yours,
† Archbishop Makarios of Australia
Primate and Exarch of All Oceania
