Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am honoured to be speaking in parliament today to recognise the 40th anniversary of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia. His contributions to the church have been exceptional and his longstanding efforts in publishing academic research are proudly acknowledged and received by my community of Barton. It is an understatement to say that there is overwhelming admiration for Archbishop Stylianos. The archbishop has devoted his life to unravelling theology in the Orthodox context, opening up new frameworks and insights to questions of religion. He began his first study at the Theological School of Halki, Constantinople. Upon graduating and being ordained to the priesthood, he received a scholarship to complete postgraduate studies in systematic theology of religion in West Germany. Rather than moving and studying his doctorate at a prestigious Western faculty, he broke the traditional mould and submitted his doctoral dissertation in 1965 in Greek to the theological faculty of the University of Athens.

He has never wavered from his Greek heritage, with most of his works being published in Greek. This was considered an active resistance to conformity in academia at that time. It is now understood how precious language is in preserving an initial idea or tradition in a modernised and multicultural society, but His Eminence's works were published in Greek in a time where language was a barrier, with the risk of work being overlooked and unacknowledged. Despite this, His Eminence stuck to his origins and created recognition of his world-renowned theological works in his native Greek language. It has paved the way for heritage to be respected and for native language to be seen as legitimate in an academic world. Many of his works, including poetry, have been translated into bilingual editions—an exceptional milestone in recognising his bold origination.

His Eminence was unanimously elected Archbishop of Australia, arriving in Sydney in April 1975. His main focus currently is in educational leadership roles as dean and founder at the St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College. More recently, in 2014, the University of Crete in Rethymnon, his home town, awarded him an honorary doctorate. The archbishop has always been a prominent figure in the church realm, but his community achievements in Sydney are also notable, in particular his involvement with aged-care services and providers such as St Basil's and the Estia Foundation of Australia.

With many other achievements still unmentioned, his contributions are endless—with over 130 parishes to his name, 40 collections of poetry, and countless research articles and numerous books and journals. He has always had undivided dedication to society and the Church. He has excelled in every area, with his strong character of faith being the key to his accomplishments, and it never fails to inspire. His leadership as archbishop for 40 years is something that I am really proud to relay on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia and as the federal representative of Barton. His sense of generosity to his community is a beacon of light that will never fade.