SYDNEY – The Archdiocese of Australia has recently announced changes to its administrative structure. The formal statement that was issued follows:

“After the endorsed presentation of His All-Holiness our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with feelings of unspeakable joy and profound satisfaction, the Holy Archdiocese of Australia announces to its Christian plenitude the approval of the rules of its new Constitution by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, after the positive proposal to this by His All-Holiness, our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. According to the decisions of the Mother Church, from henceforth, the governance of the Archdiocese of Australia will be exercised by the Holy Eparchical Synod, at which the incumbent Archbishop of the day will preside, and its members will be his active assistants Bishops in their capacity as Regional Bishops. At the same time, the thorough and coordinated work of the competent Synodical Committees of our Ecumenical Patriarchate continues with regards to settling individual issues and details.

“To the Venerable Primate of the Orthodox, His All-Holiness, Authoritative Head and Master, our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the honourable Synodical Hierarchs, sentiments of gratitude and thanks are expressed, on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the God-loving Bishops, and the members of the Archdiocesan Council, for this historic decision, which institutes an ecclesiastical functioning governance of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. Indeed, once again, feelings of filial devotion, respect, honour and love of the entire plenitude of the Fifth Continent, are fervently conveyed towards the all-holy Apostolic and Ecumenical Throne of Constantinople, and to the First in the priesthood of the Orthodox, our Ecumenical Patriarch.

In doxology to the Trinitarian God, we pray that the new Constitution of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, after its final form, will constitute a major springboard, according to God, for progress, and be an occasion for a higher spiritual path, as in fact its path to approval coincides in time with the completion of one hundred years since its foundation (1924-2024).”